Professor: Daina Eglitis
Department: Sociology
Title: Women’s Experiences of World War II and the Holocaust in the East
Description: This project highlights the memory and experiences of women and
girls in World War II and the Holocaust in Eastern Europe. I am interested in
historical accounts and collective memory of women’s experiences, as well
as the lack of women actors and female agency in dominant accounts of the
past. The work also focuses on the phenomenon of gendered violence in Nazi
ghettos and camps and on liberator violence against female survivors in the
East. The specific territories of interest include the Baltic countries and
Poland.
This research is part of an article I am preparing on violence against
survivors at liberation and a book manuscript on women’s experiences and
narratives of WWII and the Holocaust in East Europe.
Duties: I seek a research assistant to contribute to a variety of tasks,
including but not limited to the following: library research on potential new
sources of information; writing summaries of published research on pertinent
subjects; searching and summarizing survivor testimonies (some of which will
need to be done on location at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum library and
some of which can be done remotely); researching background information on
specific camps and ghettos in the East; translating testimony materials (if
the student has the requisite language knowledge).
Language skills in any of the following languages are highly desirable, but
not necessary for consideration: Russian, Hebrew, Polish, German.
The indicated time commitment is 4-6 hours/week, but I am willing to consider
other options that suit the student’s schedule.
Time commitment: 4-6 hours per week (average)
Credit hour option*: 2
Number of openings: 2
Submit Cover Letter/Resume to: dainas@gwu.edu
*If credit is sought, all registration deadlines and requirements must be
met. Students selected to be research assistants should contact Brianna
Crayton (bcrayton@gwu.edu) whether they intend to pursue credit or not.
