Anna Sobecka

Dr. Anna Sobecka serves as an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Art History within the Faculty of History at the University of Gdańsk, where she has taught since 2014. She currently holds the position of Vice-Dean of the Faculty of History (2020–present) and previously served as Deputy Director of the Institute of Art History (2016–2020). She leads the postgraduate program 'Design in Social Space,' co-organized by the University of Gdańsk and the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, and maintains an active role in international academic councils.

She earned her Art History degree and PhD from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, with her doctoral research focusing on Gdańsk's art and culture. Her scholarly development was supported by prestigious fellowships from DAAD, the Herder Institute, Herzog August Bibliothek, and the Polish Committee for Scientific Research. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a museum curator at the National Museum in Poznań and Malbork Castle Museum.

Dr. Sobecka specializes in early modern art (16th–18th centuries), with concentrated expertise in amber studies, museum practices, and design applications. Her research examines Gdańsk's collecting culture, particularly in painting, graphic arts, and artistic craftsmanship, while exploring amber's historical and contemporary significance in art and jewelry. She bridges historical scholarship with modern exhibition design and social-space interventions through her postgraduate program leadership.

Her publication trajectory reveals consistent focus on amber's interdisciplinary dimensions—from scientific properties to cultural symbolism—alongside studies of 17th-century natural history illustrations and Gdańsk's artistic networks. Recent works demonstrate increasing integration of art historical analysis with scientific methodologies in amber research.

Her distinguished recognition includes:

• Rector's Organizational Award of the University of Gdańsk (2024)
• Medal of the National Education Commission (2023)
• Splendor Gedanensis Award (2023)
• Polish Academy of Sciences Art Sciences Committee Award (2022)
• Teacher of the Year 'K.C. Mrągowiusz' Award (2021)

Dr. Sobecka advises doctoral candidates and supervises postgraduate design projects while directing the International Amber Association's research initiatives. Her administrative leadership extends to editorial roles for Porta Aurea and organizing international symposia on amber science and art.

She actively shapes cultural policy through memberships in the International Council of Museums (ICOM), World Amber Council, Pomeranian Council of Culture, and Gdańsk City Gallery Council, while maintaining curatorial ties to Malbork Castle Museum's amber exhibitions.