Dr. Jana Mikota is a lecturer in the Department of German Studies – Literature Didactics at the University of Siegen, Faculty I. She is actively engaged in research and teaching, with a focus on children’s and young adult literature, literary didactics, and historical and ecological aspects of reading culture. Her work spans interdisciplinary fields including memory studies, gender, and exile literature. Her research interests include multilingualism in children’s literature, ecological themes in youth media, historical developments in children’s reading, and literary learning processes. She investigates how literature shapes identity, especially in contexts of exile, trauma, and gendered education. Her publications often explore the biographical dimension of reading and writing, particularly through the lens of transitional objects like dolls, as seen in her editorial work on the journal denkste: puppe / just a bit of: doll (de:do) . The most recent articles reflect a consistent engagement with historical children’s literature, especially during the Weimar Republic and exile periods. Themes include the representation of teachers, exile narratives, girlhood education, and the role of reading in personal and political development. Her work bridges literary analysis with pedagogical application, emphasizing the cultural and psychological significance of children’s media. Dr. Mikota has co-organized academic conferences, such as the 2011 event on vampires in children’s media, and frequently contributes to interdisciplinary discourse through edited volumes and journal publications. She has served on editorial boards and collaborative research projects focusing on war children, memory, and resistance. Although no specific grants are mentioned, her sustained scholarly output and editorial roles indicate active research engagement. She has supervised theses in the past but has announced she will not accept new BA or MA theses in 2025. She no longer provides second opinions starting winter semester 2023/24. She is associated with research teams and workshops on family history and memory, including collaborations with Imbke Behnken and Jürgen Zinnecker. Her work with the journal denkste continues to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on the symbolic and artistic roles of dolls in biography and literature.





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