Roger Nols: a mayor to be forgotten?
Should the bust of Roger Nols be removed? The question is now being debated. This article questions the reasons why the representation and memory of the former mayor of Schaerbeek seem so obtrusive in the public space, and emphasises the need́ to place the controversial events in a broader historica...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Université libre de Bruxelles - ULB
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Brussels Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/6074 |
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| _version_ | 1839597929508110336 |
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| author | Serge Jaumain Joost Vaesen |
| author_facet | Serge Jaumain Joost Vaesen |
| author_sort | Serge Jaumain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Should the bust of Roger Nols be removed? The question is now being debated. This article questions the reasons why the representation and memory of the former mayor of Schaerbeek seem so obtrusive in the public space, and emphasises the need́ to place the controversial events in a broader historical context. It cautions against focusing the criticism only on him, which could exonerate those who supported racist and xenophobic discourses and policies openly or in the secrecy of the ballot box, both in Schaerbeek and in other municipalities of the capital. This reflection allows a discussion of the risks of “presentism”, i.e. the use of the past according to current political objectives without taking historical reality into account. It shows that it is not the role of historians to make a decision about the future of this bust, but that they do have an essential role to play in documenting the context surrounding this controversial figure. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bcb150dd1a1c45b38bfcc78d64c039ef |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2031-0293 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Université libre de Bruxelles - ULB |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brussels Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-bcb150dd1a1c45b38bfcc78d64c039ef2025-08-02T18:05:49ZengUniversité libre de Bruxelles - ULBBrussels Studies2031-02932022-05-0110.4000/brussels.6074Roger Nols: a mayor to be forgotten?Serge JaumainJoost VaesenShould the bust of Roger Nols be removed? The question is now being debated. This article questions the reasons why the representation and memory of the former mayor of Schaerbeek seem so obtrusive in the public space, and emphasises the need́ to place the controversial events in a broader historical context. It cautions against focusing the criticism only on him, which could exonerate those who supported racist and xenophobic discourses and policies openly or in the secrecy of the ballot box, both in Schaerbeek and in other municipalities of the capital. This reflection allows a discussion of the risks of “presentism”, i.e. the use of the past according to current political objectives without taking historical reality into account. It shows that it is not the role of historians to make a decision about the future of this bust, but that they do have an essential role to play in documenting the context surrounding this controversial figure.http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/6074municipalitieshistoryimmigrationurban strugglespolitical staff |
| spellingShingle | Serge Jaumain Joost Vaesen Roger Nols: a mayor to be forgotten? Brussels Studies municipalities history immigration urban struggles political staff |
| title | Roger Nols: a mayor to be forgotten? |
| title_full | Roger Nols: a mayor to be forgotten? |
| title_fullStr | Roger Nols: a mayor to be forgotten? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Roger Nols: a mayor to be forgotten? |
| title_short | Roger Nols: a mayor to be forgotten? |
| title_sort | roger nols a mayor to be forgotten |
| topic | municipalities history immigration urban struggles political staff |
| url | http://journals.openedition.org/brussels/6074 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sergejaumain rogernolsamayortobeforgotten AT joostvaesen rogernolsamayortobeforgotten |