Anna-Simona Barbara Üzel

Dr. Anna-Simona Barbara Üzel serves as a Scientific Associate at the Institute of Semitic Studies within the Department of History and Cultural Studies at Free University of Berlin. She holds the position of BA representative and teaches courses on Religions of the Near East and Languages and Cultures of the Near East across multiple semesters, including specialized instruction in Classical Syriac and Neo-Aramaic-Turoyo.

Her research focuses on Syriac linguistic traditions and historical documentation of Christian communities in the Ottoman Empire, particularly examining 19th-20th century conflicts through Syriac mimro (liturgical poems). Her scholarly work reveals consistent engagement with historical trauma, linguistic preservation, and religious identity within Mesopotamian Christian communities.

Analysis of her publications shows a clear trajectory examining Ottoman-era violence against Christian minorities through primary Syriac sources, with particular attention to massacres of 1895-96 and 19th century Kurdish-Ottoman conflicts. Her work bridges historical linguistics, religious studies, and Middle Eastern history with methodological precision in textual analysis.

As BA representative, she provides academic guidance to bachelor's students while maintaining active research participation in multiple departmental projects including those concerning East Syrian historiography, Jewish Arabic dialects of Mesopotamia, and the documentation of endangered linguistic traditions across the Iranian-Mesopotamian region.