Urban commemoration of Edward Colston in the public space of Bristol, England

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2020-06-24

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en

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The purpose of this research was to investigate the social, societal and political role of urban public space in and prerequisites and sensibilities needed for addressing the city’s colonial slave trade history in the public sphere. The research therefore focusses on the urban commemoration of Edward Colston in Bristol, England. Colston was a slave trader in the Transatlantic slave trade but at the same time he was also a huge philanthropist committed to the city of Bristol. The urban commemoration of problematic figures has, especially most recently, ignited a global debate on its social and societal implications and impacts. Additionally, our world is facing innumerable social problems and injustices and as we are becoming a more and more urban species it is important to look at the potential of urban space in tackling these. This thesis is built on literature research complimented by informal interviews and fieldwork insights. The paper seeks to answer the question of how Bristol is dealing with its slave trade history, especially in form of the urban commemoration of the slave trader Edward Colston.

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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen