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Anna Zabraniak

Anna Zabraniak,  PhD candidate at the Taube Department of Jewish Studies, University of Wrocław, Poland

 

I am a PhD candidate at the Taube Department of Jewish Studies in the Faculty of Neo-Philology at the University of Wrocław, where I am working on my dissertation with a working title “Translation and the Enlightenment: Shaping Polish-Jewish Intellectual History”. Before embarking on this fascinating journey in the humanities, I completed a master’s degree in Psychology at the same university, where I examined the deeply human tendency for (excessive) fantasising.

Transitioning from the social and clinical sciences of psychology to the fields of European history and literature, I developed a strong interest in the complex web of social and cultural interactions that shaped the so-called Western modes of thought (every bold idea, after all, is a form of fantasising). I was truly excited to learn about the grant project led by my current supervisor, Prof. Marcin Wodziński, funded by the National Science Centre, under the title „Two Enlightenments”. I applied immediately and was accepted into the project as a PhD candidate.

Within this framework, I have focused on analysing the cultural zone in which Polish, Jewish, and other intellectuals met through the multidimensional process of translation. Political ideas, religious polemics, debates on patriotism and monarchism, and discussions surrounding human rights, tolerance, and emancipation all unfolded within the complex, multilingual world of translation - shaping intellectual movements that underpinned modernity. I consider my research significant not only for the fields of Polish, Jewish, and Central European studies, but also for the broader development of minority studies. My work approaches the Polish and Jewish Enlightenments as reciprocal, interwoven movements, challenging the simplified notion of a one-way influence from majority to minority cultures.

During my PhD, I completed an internship at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2023) and participated in the Erasmus Programme at the Jewish Theology Department at the University of Potsdam (2024), where I deepened my knowledge of Biblical Hebrew. I have taken part in numerous conferences, seminars, workshops, and collaborative projects on Jewish studies, Biblical studies, translation, and digital humanities. The latter field has been particularly important for developing my skills, as I have been teaching a course in Digital Humanities for master’s students at my Alma Mater. Currently, I work as an Assistant in the Digital Forum of the European Association of Jewish Studies and serve as an Editorial Assistant in the European Journal of Jewish Studies.            

Beyond my academic activities, I enjoy both reading and writing poetry. In 2024, I was awarded first place in the 45th edition of the Halina Poświatowska National Poetry Competition. Like most aspiring scholars, I spend much of my time reading. Beyond my research interests, I am particularly fascinated by the diverse cultures of Europe and the Middle East, chiefly as expressed through myths and tales. In my free time, I love visiting local and national art museums, especially to admire 16th-century German masters and the imaginative spirit of Renaissance art.

 

 

Contact

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Wirth Institute for Austrian and Central European Studies
300-F
Arts & Convocation Hall
Edmonton, Alberta
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