Difficult monuments in theory and practice: the Nazi Monument at Stiklestad, Norway

Abstract

In this talk, I will approach topics of heritage that are contentious, difficult, and even painful by examining how public monuments become the focus of attention among people and pertain - politically, socially and culturally – in various clashes. The tumults in recent years in connection with the Black Lives Matter protests where the demolition of statues in public places (e.g., Confederate statues in the USA, the Colston statue in the UK) has created considerable public debate, difficult monuments with a nationalist and racist content has gone from being politically “cold” to getting “warm” in the public realm. The events of recent years have raised the question of the significance of difficult monuments today, whether they should be allowed to stand or should fall in order to make room for monuments with new content adapted to our time.

In this lecture, I will discuss what makes monuments difficult by considering theories related to memory work and their implication for practice. I will consider a range of different kinds of heritage management choices when dealing with monuments and discuss what would in various concrete cases be a better solution than others in the management of difficult monuments. In the lecture, I will use as a case study my recent work as an adviser to National Trust Norway on which management strategies are suitable for the buried Nazi Monument in Stiklestad, Norway. The Nazi monument was destroyed and buried on site in 1945 by the Norwegian resistance movement. In 2009, the monument was recovered by archaeological excavations. In the lecture, the public debate about this difficult monument is highlighted.

Torgrim Sneve Guttormsen PhD is the Head of the Heritage and Society Department at Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research. He is trained in archaeology and heritage studies with research emphasis on cultural heritage management and politics, heritage and planning, urban heritage, immigrant heritage, difficult heritage, public archaeology and the history of archaeology.

With his focus on studying memorials, commemorations and exhibitions his research also interfaces memory studies and museum studies. Torgrim is an Honorary Professor at the University of Stirling Centre for Environment, Heritage and Policy for the period 2021-2024.