The War of the Statues in the Era of Armed Peace
Monuments and Nationalism in Europe 1870–1914
“The War of the Statues in the Era of Armed Peace” focus on the symbolic competition in the late 19th and early 20th century and the important part that monuments played in an era foremost characterised of nationalism. Even though the representatives for the nationalistic movements emphasised their own nations and myths, history and symbols connected to them, it is obvious that they used the same kind of tactics to build or strengthen the national identities. The dramatically increasing number of monuments during this period is a lasting proof hereof. The monuments and their locations, erections and inaugurations, were similar in different parts of Europe. There were also a common view on the political and philosophical ideas that the monuments were to be seen as positive prototypes for the citizens, financial status and artistic preferences of commissioners, use of symbols, choice of persons and historical events as well as adaptations to the current iconographic conventions.
The monuments were an almost perfect visual illustration of many of the fundamental components of the late 19th and early 20th century nationalism. This leads to the conclusion that a more thorough study of nationalism and monuments in a European context might result in a greater knowledge of both phenomenons. The “nationalization of the masses” will be more understandable if we take into account on one hand the political significance of monuments as such, on the other the materialization of national myths in the monuments.
Despite an increasing academic interest in nationalism and monuments during the last decades, comparative studies are still rare. It is also still uncommon that knowledge from different academic traditions is discussed in the studies of monuments. I argue in this article for an increasing co-operation between humanistic and social sciences in order to better understand the common European heritage that monuments and nationalism in a way is.
