De-Commemoration : Removing Statues and Renaming Places

In the wake of recent protests against police violence and racism, calls to dismantle problematic memorials have reverberated around the globe. This is not a new phenomenon, however, nor is it limited to the Anglo-Saxon world. __De-Commemoration__ focuses on the concept of de-commemoration as it relates to remembrance. Drawing on research from experts on memory dynamics across various disciplines, this extensive collection seeks to make sense of the current state of de-commemoration as it transforms contemporary societies around the world. CONTENTS List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction. Making Sense of De-Commemoration Part I. De-Commemoration after Regime Change Chapter 1. Baptizing and Unbaptizing in Algeria: From French Colonization to National Independence Chapter 2. Street Renaming in Postsocialist Romania: A Quantitative Analysis of Toponymic Change Chapter 3. “Th e First Bolshevik Leaves Riga”: Th e De-Commemoration of Vladimir I. Lenin in Riga, Latvia (1987–1991) Chapter 4. “In Memory of the Fallen . . .” But for How Long? Th e De-Commemoration of German War Memorials in Poland after 1945 Chapter 5. Naming to Erase, Renaming to Restore: (Re)Indigenizing the Landscape Chapter 6. Removing Rhodes from His Pedestal: De-Commemoration in Postcolonial South Africa Chapter 7. Contrasting Fates of Lenin Statues in Ukraine and Russia Chapter 8. Beyond the Monument: Unmaking the Valley of the Fallen in Contemporary Spain Part II. De-Commemoration and Societal Transformation Chapter 9. Renaming and the Relationship between Colonized and Colonizer: Th e Role of Commemoration within Dual Place Names in New Zealand Chapter 10. De-Canonization of the Soviet Past: Abject, Kitsch, and Memory Chapter 11. Diversifying Public Commemorations in Cape Town and Copenhagen Chapter 12. De-Commemoration as Healing and Confl ict: Canada and Its Colonial Past and Present Chapter 13. Killing Pedro de Valdivia Again: De-Commemoration of the Past and De-Neoliberalization of the Present during the 2019–2020 Chilean Revolt Chapter 14. De-Commemorating Sound: Controversies about the Reestablishment of the National Anthem in South Korea and Beyond Chapter 15. Do Commemorations Have an “Expiration Date”? A Case Study from Belgium Part III. De-Commemoration to Propel Change Chapter 16. De-Commemorating Australian Settler Colonialism Chapter 17. Th e Present Is All Th at Matters: De-Commemoration Practices in Israel Chapter 18. De-Commemorations and the Unsettled Past in Contemporary Brazil Chapter 19. Decolonizing Colonial Monuments: Counter-Memory Activism in Madrid and Barcelona Chapter 20. Transnational Memory Struggles: Guerrilla Remembrances in Colombia and Venezuela in the 2000s Chapter 21. “Next Stop Anton-Wilhelm-Amo Strasse”: Place Names, De-Commemoration, and Memory Activism in Berlin Chapter 22. From Decapitation to Destruction: Making Sense of Toppling Statues in Contemporary Martinique Chapter 23. De-Commemoration in Great Britain Chapter 24. Th e Role of Nonprofits in De-Commemoration: Th e Southern Poverty Law Center’s Whose Heritage? Report Part IV. De-Commemoration as Smoke Screen Chapter 25. De-Commemoration without Decolonization? Th e Peculiar Case of the Philippines Chapter 26. Twice Removed: Th e Mystery of Manila’s Missing Comfort Woman Monument Chapter 27. Counter-Memory and State De-Commemoration: Th e Khavaran Mass Grave in Iran Chapter 28. Th e Toppling of the Equestrian Statue and the Future of Colonial-Era Memorials in Namibia Chapter 29. An Unmarked Rebellion: Th e Politics of Forgetting Denmark Vesey Chapter 30. Exploring the Scope of De-Commemoration: Touring Trafalgar Square in London and Beyond Part V. De-Commemoration to Challenge Memory Chapter 31. From De-Commemoration of Names to Reparative Namescapes: Geographical Case Studies in the United States Chapter 32. De-Commemoration under the Law: Th e Removal of Statues in France and the United States Chapter 33. Human Rights and Toppled Statues: Can the European Convention on Human Rights Provide Solutions to De-Commemoration Disputes? Chapter 34. Re-Commemoration: What Other Stories Can We Tell? Observing Ordinary People Engaging with Monuments in Public Space Chapter 35. Who Cares about Old Statues and Street Names? Resisting Change and the Protracted Decommunization of Public Space in Poland Chapter 36. Keeping the Past from Freezing: Augmented Reality and Memories in the Public Space Chapter 37. De-Commemorating White Supremacy through the Act of Voting Index

In the wake of recent protests against police violence andracism, calls to dismantle problematic memorials have reverberatedaround the globe. This is not a new phenomenon, however, nor is itlimited to the Western world. De-Commemoration focuses onthe concept of de-commemoration as it relates to remembrance.Drawing on research from experts on memory dynamics across variousdisciplines, this extensive collection seeks to make sense of thecurrent state of de-commemoration as it transforms contemporarysocieties around the world.

In the wake of recent protests against police violence and racism, calls to dismantle problematic memorials have reverberated around the globe. This is not a new phenomenon, however, nor is it limited to the Western world. De-Commemoration focuses on the concept of de-commemoration as it relates to remembrance. Drawing on research from experts on memory dynamics across various disciplines, this extensive collection seeks to make sense of the current state of de-commemoration as it transforms contemporary societies around the world.