When Memory Serves

In brief

Samuel Holleran notes that the passage of time often causes the original meaning of public memorials to fade. He points to the column in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn as an example, noting that while many locals use the site for picnics or exercise, few realize it commemorates the 11,500 American prisoners of war who died in British ships during the Revolutionary War.

Holleran distinguishes between monuments, which often represent power, and memorials, which focus on loss and reflection. He cites the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum as examples of memorials situated in public spaces to invite reflection on historical tragedies.