Anka Steffen

Dr. Anka Steffen is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Vienna's Department of Economic and Social History, focusing on global historical perspectives. Her work examines Silesian socio-economic history, plantation slavery comparisons, material culture, and Eastern European industrialization. She holds a MA from Harvard University and has been affiliated with institutions including Leipzig, Viadrina Frankfurt/O., and Harvard's Weatherhead Initiative on Global History.

Education & Experience:

• 2023–24: Teaching Assistant at University of Leipzig
• 2019: Harvard University Fellowship (Weatherhead Initiative)
• 2015–2018: DFG-funded Research Associate (Viadrina)

Research Interests: Her studies bridge global economic systems and regional socio-cultural changes. She analyzes transregional networks through material artifacts and labor systems, particularly comparing serfdom and slavery across Europe and Africa.

Awards:

• 2023 Martin Behaim Dissertation Prize
• 2024 Karin Biermann Prize
• 2024 Georg R. Schroubek Prize

Professional Networks: Active member of the Verein für Geschichte Schlesiens, Gesellschaft für Globalgeschichte, and Women in Economic History. Engaged in globalizing Eastern European historiography through cross-disciplinary collaborations.