Dr. Katarzyna Woniak
Historikerin und Ethnologin (Historian and Ethnologist)

History is already today!

I am a German-Polish historian and ethnologist (born 1983) from the Baltic Sea coast and have been living in my new Bavarian home since about 2004. As a researcher, I am increasingly dedicated to the history of National Socialism. In particular, the tension between victim remembrance and knowledge transfer is of great importance to me. During my diverse activities, I was able to gain extensive experience as a curator, lecturer, interpreter and multiplier. In addition, I worked as a Polish contact person on contemporary history and remembrance culture issues with several concentration camp memorials and documentation centers. In recent years, I have expanded my research interests to include ethical issues, both in medicine and in historical studies, which has allowed me to develop a particular ethical sensitivity to biographical, person-centered research. I look forward to further exciting research projects! Please feel free to contact me in this regard.


Vita

Since 2020 Research associate, Institute of History/Aleksander Brückner Center for Polish Studies, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg (DFG-Project)
2019 – 2020 Research associate, Institute of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine of the University of Ulm
2013 –2018 Research associate, Centre for Historical Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Berlin
2012 PhD in history (cotutelle de thèse) University of Augsburg and Adam-Mickiewicz-University of Poznań
2008 – 2010 DAAD Research assistent, University of Augsburg
2009 Research assistant, Institute of Contemporary History (Munich)
2005 – 2008 Studied modern and contemporary history, medieval history and European ethnology/folk studies at the University of Augsburg (M.A.)
2004 – 2005 „Erasmus – Sokrates Programm“ at the University of Augsburg
2002 – 2005 Studied history at the University of Poznań/Poland
2002 Baccalaureate in Łobez/Polen

Teaching assignment:
2014 – 2015 Free University of Berlin
2010 – 2012 Adam-Mickiewicz-University of Poznań

Research projects:
2020 – 2026 (50%) Emotions under Extreme Conditions: Emotional Worlds in Poland under German Occupation, 1939-1945“ (DFG, University of Halle)
2019 – 2020 Ethical and legal aspects of prenatal medicine and research on humans in Western and Eastern Europe (University of Ulm)
2016 – 2017 Murder of the sick of foreign forced laborers (Charité Berlin)
2008 – 2010 History of Europe since 1989 (University of Augsburg)

Additional qualifications:
2021 – Digital History: Transkribus & Textanalyse (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel)
2019 – Trainer C competitive sport for chess (German Olympic Sports Confederation)
2018 – Business Administration for Humanities Students at the University of Augsburg
2010 – Youth Manager (Otto-Benecke-Stiftung)
2007 – Archival studies of the late Middle Ages (State Archives Augsburg)

Awards/Scholarships:
2021 – Jerzy Giedroyc Prize of the Marie Curie Skłodowska University Lublin for the book "Zwangswelten. Emotional and Everyday History of Polish 'Civilian Workers' in Berlin 1939-1945"
2011 – 2012: Free State of Bavaria: Program for the Realization of Equal Opportunities for Women in Research and Teaching
2011 German Historical Institute Warsaw
2009 – 2010: Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe
2006 – 2008: Bavarian State Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts
2007 German Academic Exchange Service


Hobbys: Chess, Knitting, Japanese studies, History