Fallen Idols

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In 2020, history faced a reckoning as Black Lives Matter protests led to the defacement and removal of statues representing Confederate figures, slaveholders, and imperialists across the globe. In Richmond, Virginia, General Robert E. Lee's statue was vandalized, while in Bristol, England, Edward Colston, a notorious slave trader, was toppled and thrown into the harbor. Statues of Christopher Columbus were dismantled in various states, and Belgium's King Leopold II was set ablaze in Antwerp. Winston Churchill's monument in London was marked with "racist." The swift backlash to these actions highlighted the ongoing debate about historical representation. Alex von Tunzelmann explores the rise and fall of twelve controversial statues, illustrating that their removal does not erase history but rather shapes it. Through a global historical lens, she examines the narratives behind these figures and distinguishes between statues as political symbols and other forms of public art. While the conversation continues about the fate of memorials, the central question remains: have statues outlived their purpose?