In this article, I build off the critical work that has engaged with the history of Nantes and the larger question of memorialization in Europe. I analyze the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery, celebrated as Nantes’ recognition of their colonial past and France's journey to abolition. In my analysis of the Memorial, I consider what is being communicated through the memorial, and the stakes it holds for municipal and local actors in the memory scene. Utilizing a textual and visual analysis of the memorial, I analyze the choices made for the memorial, who is interpellated within its narratives, and how ultimately, the monument is a tool of disavowal for the city of Nantes even as they take steps to reckon with the role in the transatlantic slave trade. I argue that Nantes, through the Memorial to the Abolition of Slavery, utilizes a humanitarian narrative to avoid guilt for its pivotal role in the slave trade and to link itself to larger Europe as a cosmopolitan, artistic city that has cleansed itself from its sins.

中文翻译：

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废除奴隶制纪念碑：南特清算殖民历史的旅程


在本文中，我以与南特历史和欧洲更大的纪念问题有关的重要工作为基础。我分析了废除奴隶制纪念碑，庆祝南特承认他们的殖民历史和法国的废奴之旅。在我对纪念馆的分析中，我考虑了通过纪念馆传达的内容，以及它对纪念场景中的市政和地方行为者所具有的利害关系。利用对纪念碑的文本和视觉分析，我分析了为纪念碑所做的选择，谁在它的叙述中受到质询，以及最终，纪念碑如何成为南特市否认的工具，即使他们采取措施考虑在跨大西洋奴隶贸易中的作用。我认为，南特通过废除奴隶制纪念馆，利用人道主义叙事来避免因其在奴隶贸易中的关键作用而感到内疚，并将自己与更大的欧洲联系起来，作为一个已经洗净了罪恶的国际性艺术城市。