Anna Kuchta

Dr. Anna Kuchta is a lecturer and researcher at the Department of Comparative Civilization Studies, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. Her academic work focuses on postmemory, Holocaust studies, and Japanese literature, particularly the Heian period and Tale of Genji. She is actively involved in international research projects related to Central European Memory of the Holocaust and serves on editorial boards of prominent academic journals.

Education:

• Master's degree in Comparative Civilization Studies (2013), Jagiellonian University, with distinction (thesis on void in Viktor Pelevin's novels)
• PhD in cultural and religious studies (2019), Jagiellonian University, with distinction

Dr. Kuchta's research centers on postmemory phenomena, examining how trauma from World War II and the Holocaust transmits across generations through literature and cultural expression. Her work explores Japanese cultural identity through classical literature like The Tale of Genji, analyzing these texts through contemporary theoretical frameworks including popular culture theory. She investigates how cultural identity forms in relation to historical trauma and collective memory, with particular attention to Polish-Jewish relations and the 'second generation' experience.

Her publications demonstrate a consistent focus on intergenerational trauma transmission, with particular attention to Polish-Jewish relations and the 'second generation' experience. She frequently employs Marianne Hirsch's concept of postmemory while incorporating insights from memory studies, cultural anthropology, and literary theory. Her recent work shows increasing engagement with multidisciplinary approaches to Holocaust memory, including theatrical adaptations and cross-cultural comparisons between European and Japanese historical trauma.

Scientific Awards:

• 2022: Scholarship holder of the sixth Summer Institute on the Holocaust and Jewish Civilisation (Royal Holloway, University of London)
• 2020: 3rd degree award of the Rector of the Jagiellonian University for scientific achievements
• 2016/2017: Scholarship holder of The Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (SYLFF)
• 2021: Published translation of classical Japanese haiku poetry

Dr. Kuchta has secured multiple significant research grants, including funding from the National Programme for the Development of the Humanities (NPRH) for English translation of her monograph 'Facing Postmemory,' National Science Centre (NCN) funding for research on the International Tracing Service's role in Holocaust memory, and European Union funding for the CEMORY project. She has also received several Jagiellonian University research grants for young scientists focusing on postmemory and cultural identity. She serves as secretary of the editorial board of 'The Polish Journal of Aesthetics' and is a member of the editorial board of 'The Polish Journal of the Arts and Culture.'

Her current research includes the CEMORY project (Central European Memory of the Holocaust in a Multicultural and Multidimensional Perspective) funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Program. She continues to explore connections between Japanese literature and contemporary cultural theory while actively participating in international scholarly networks focused on Holocaust memory and postmemory studies.