Sulamith Graefenstein

Dr. Sulamith Graefenstein is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University's Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies, within the School of Literature, Languages & Linguistics. Her research focuses on Memory Studies and Museum Studies, examining how human rights museums and memorial institutions shape transnational justice and solidarity, particularly in contexts of Holocaust memory and colonial histories. She holds a PhD in Museum Studies from ANU, an MA in Cultural Studies from the University of Konstanz, and a BA in European Studies from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Her work spans international research in Belgium, Austria, Canada, the U.S., and South Korea, with notable publications analyzing multidirectional memory frameworks, decolonial memorial practices, and methodological challenges in youth identity research. Key topics include the role of monuments (e.g., Sydney’s Comfort Women statue), human rights narratives in museums, and intersections of Holocaust memory with colonial violence.

Notable outputs include her 2025 chapter on transnational memory in human rights museums and her 2013 book critiquing Australia’s colonial history representation in its national museum. Her 2020 article on survey methodologies for non-binary identities demonstrates interdisciplinary reach.