Memorials and Monuments

Memorials and monuments are created as permanent markers in the landscape, their solid structures standing through time. Yet, they are fluid, [Page 1043]taking on new meanings as their communities evolve. The original meanings attributed to them are modified by political and social changes. They are public repositories of memory, but their significance may fade through the simple act of forgetting.

In the 20th century, change in the perception of the monument’s function took place. Formerly, memorials represented heroism and sacrifice, recognition of some specific battle or war. Often, they did not list individual names. Rather, they were meant to recognize all those engaged in or dying in a conflict. More recently, the public, led by a new breed of artists and sculptors, has called for more ...