Helena Holzberger

Dr. Helena Holzberger is a Post-Doc Research Assistant at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, affiliated with the Department of History of East and Southeast Europe and the Chair of Russian-Asian Studies. Her research bridges maritime history, global history, infrastructure studies, and cultural history through the lens of the Soviet merchant fleet and its geopolitical implications during the Cold War.

• Education: Master of Arts in Eastern European History and European Art History from Heidelberg University (2014)
• Habilitation Project: 'Red Sailors in Troubled Waters' examining Soviet maritime infrastructure and globalization
• Dissertation (2020): Photography's role in Russian/Soviet representation of Central Asia

Her work spans interdisciplinary approaches including mobility history, visual culture analysis, and postcolonial theory. Publications focus on photographic documentation, Soviet orientalism, and cultural representation in imperial and socialist contexts. She actively contributes to academic discourse through conference organization and editorial work at H-Soz-Kult.

Scientific awards include:

• Max Weber Network Eastern Europe scholarship (2023)
• DAAD Conference Travel Scholarship (2019)
• LMU mentoring program travel grant (2019)
• German Institute of Humanities in Moscow fellowship (2016)
• HSE St Petersburg scholarships (2015)