Daniel Palacios González - Böcker

This book narrates how, beginning in 1936, bodies buried in mass graves during the Spanish War and subsequent dictatorship were turned into monuments. The book describes how the production of monuments evolved and what forms this process and these monuments took; it examines how the monuments were incorporated into society and used to influence public opinion; and it argues that this process was not simply based on the formal logic of tradition but instead reflected a conscious plan with a specific and rational end goal. As such, this book puts forward the idea that the monument as a material object became an expression of the historical consciousness of its producers, relating how different actors communicated their memories into meaningful gestures while limited by the material reality of integrating the bodies into a novel artefact. Finally, it contends that the people creating these monuments did not just bury their dead according to a funerary tradition but also sought to influence society.

This book undertakes a critical examination of monuments, heritage, and memory, analysing their intersections with colonial histories, gender dynamics, and class structures. By challenging conventional conceptions of monuments, memory, and heritage, this work advocates for a materialist approach that rigorously critiques hegemonic and authorised discourses. It seeks to reconceptualise these phenomena by proposing alternative paradigms and radical practices that offer new perspectives on their construction, preservation, and interpretation. The volume is structured into two primary sections: a theoretical component that develops a materialist critique of the subject, alongside innovative frameworks for its reinterpretation, and an empirical component grounded in concrete experiences derived from radical practices involving the construction, preservation, and demolition of monuments. Situated within contemporary debates surrounding the future of monuments and the ongoing culture wars, Redefining Monuments provides an indispensable resource for scholars and readers invested in counter-hegemonic interpretations of monuments. The work aims to advance the development of a materialist theory and methodology for understanding memory and heritage, offering a critical contribution to these fields.