Monuments and Memory: Two Examples from Transylvania

Societies erect monuments to commemorate heroes or remember crucial and significant events in their histories. Set in stone, they become part of the public landscape. While some fade into obscurity, others assume an ever greater role in the societys understanding of the past, and perhaps more importantly, the present. This work analyzes the history and impact of two monuments in Transylvania, a multi-ethnic community, whose national affiliation changed after World War I. This work tells the story of the attempts to use, manipulate, and re-imagine these monuments and turn public space into another, more subtle, battleground in the conflict between a new state and a historical ethnic minority. The work also analyzes larger issues concerning how states could deal with disputed monuments and defuse conflict about public space.