This study explores the critical role of public monuments in shaping and sustaining nationalism in Indonesia, examining how these symbolic artifacts mediate between historical narratives and contemporary civic identity. Through a comprehensive qualitative investigation spanning monuments from the Old Order, New Order, and post-Reformasi eras, the research unveils the complex dynamics of monumentality as a tool for both national remembrance and collective consciousness. The study reveals a profound institutional neglect that threatens the pedagogical potential of monuments, documenting how material degradation and symbolic marginalization undermine their capacity to generate meaningful citizen engagement. By analyzing monuments through the interdisciplinary lenses of urban cultural studies, memory politics, and interpretive sociology, the research identifies strategic pathways for revitalizing these cultural texts. The findings propose a multi-stakeholder approach to monument preservation, emphasizing the need for critical documentation, educational integration, and participatory reinterpretation. Ultimately, the study argues that monuments are not mere static remnants but dynamic cultural infrastructures capable of nurturing inclusive, critically engaged forms of nationalism in Indonesia’s evolving democratic landscape.
Wisetrotomo et al. (Fri,) studied this question.