Bronwyn Cragg

My name is Bronwyn Cragg. I am an Austrian-Canadian historian and translator. I hold an MA in History and a BA in Jewish Studies from the University of Toronto, and am currently completing a PhD in History at the "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University in Iași, Romania.Since 2020, my research has focused on Romania's Legionary Movement in exile. Currently, I am writing a critical biography of the Movement's second leader, Horia Sima.My other academic interests include the history of (ultra-)nationalism and state-building, Jewish history of the 20th century, and literature and art history.Outside of research, I also work as an illustrator and photographer, graphic designer, and translator. I have intermediate to advanced understanding of German, Romanian, Yiddish, and French.I am currently based in Bucharest, Romania.

Curriculum vitae

Education

Universitatea "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iași — PhD in History (2024 - ongoing)Doctoral project: "Țara și Exilul. O biografie a lui Horia Sima (1906–1993)" ["The Country and Exile. A Biography of Horia Sima (1906–1993)"]University of Toronto — MA in History (2020-2021)CGPA 3.95; Collaborative program in Jewish StudiesResearch title: "Fascists, Fanatics, and Feuds: Dissent and Strategy in the Legionary Movement Under Horia Sima, 1938-1993"
(Research supervisor: Dr. Doris Bergen, FRSC)Director's Merit Award in Jewish Studies (2021)
Awarded to a student based on academic merit at the discretion of the Director of the Centre for Jewish Studies. Awarded through a donation from Mrs. Livia Prince in honour of her father, Mr. Viktor Reiter.Sonshine Graduate Scholarship in Holocaust Studies (2020)
Awarded by the Centre for Jewish Studies to a student completing graduate-level studies in a Holocaust-related topic.University of Toronto — Honours Bachelor of Arts with High Distinction (2016 - 2020)Major in Jewish Studies, minors in German Studies and Art HistoryDean's List scholar 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020Samuel Cukier Memorial Prize in Jewish Studies (2019 - 2020)
Awarded to an outstanding student enrolled in the Specialist or Major program in Jewish Studies.The Anne (Medres) Glass Memorial Scholarship in Yiddish (2019 - 2020)
Awarded to an outstanding student with particularly high achievement in Yiddish.J A Surerus Memorial Scholarship (2018 - 2019)
Awarded to a student with overall A standing with preference given to a student who is studying German Language or Literature.William Crichton Webster Scholarship (2017 - 2018)
Awarded to Victoria College students in recognition of outstanding academic achievement.Jessie Macpherson Scholarship in Fine Art (2016 - 2017)
Awarded to Victoria College students with overall A standing having completed First Year, with preference to students studying the History of Art.

Publications and Projects

"The Metamorphosis of Alexandru Resmerița. Drawing Professor, Lingust, 'Iron Guard Priest'?"
Article in PLURAL. History, Culture, Society vol. 12, no. 1 (2024)"Charlatan, Agitator, Terrorist, Loser: Early Portrayals of Adolf Hitler in the Romanian Press (1919-1929)"
Book chapter in Rumänisch-deutsche Spiegelungen. Die diskursive Darstellung Deutschlands und der Deutschen in Rumänien (1918–1940) (Regensburg: Verlag Friedrich Pustet, 2024)"Letters from Exile: Canadian Media, the Romanian Diaspora, and the Legionary Movement"
Article in Journal of Romanian Studies vol. 6, no. 1 (2024)"Arbres fruitiers, tunnels ferroviaires et tubes sans soudure : Présence luxembourgeoise en Roumanie, 1890-1950"
Researcher, translator, and graphic designer. Collaborative research project and exhibition at the Centre de Documentation sur les Migrations humaines, Dudelange, Luxembourg. (2023–2024; exhibition in Dudelange: September 2024–February 2025)

Conferences and Panels

The Jews of Romania and Luxembourg: An Entangled History (1914-1947) (Black Box – Maison des Sciences humaines, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, February 2025/upcoming)
Symposium organized by C²DH and Centre de Documentation sur les Migrations humaines in the framework of the Digital Shoah Memorial and the exhibition “Fruit Trees, Railway Tunnels, and Seamless Tubes. Luxembourgish presence in Romania (1890-1950)”.
Presentation: "Luxembourgish Experiences of Romanian Antisemitism: Jean-Baptiste Duhr (1903-1976) and Maurice Kahn (1885-after 1947)"Politică și urbanitate. Forme ale sociabilității și politicilor de integrare sub spectrul realităților post-imperiale (Universitatea "Lucian Blaga" din Sibiu, Sibiu/Păltiniș, Romania, November 2024)
Presentation: "'Țară nouă vom clădi...' : Legionary building projects in the Romanian urban and rural space, 1927–1941"Society for Romanian Studies 2022 Conference: Borders and Transfers (Timişoara, Romania, June 2022)
Presentation: "Letters from Exile: Canadian Media, the Romanian Diaspora, and the Radical Right"Conversations at the Intersections of the Holocaust and Indigenous Genocide in Canada (University of Toronto, Canada, March 2022)
Panel discussion and cross-disciplinary workshop.Panel Discussion on USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive (University of Toronto, Canada, July 2021)
Panel discussion between researchers funded through an SSHRC Institutional Grant.Iranian Revolution Symposium (University of Toronto, Canada, April 2021)
"Culture for All, Bread for All: The Revolutionary Graphics of the Tudeh Party" (documentary short)Jewish Life in Germany (University of Toronto; planned for Summer 2020)
Co-planning cross-Germany research excursion for five Canada-based Jewish Studies researchers. Funded through the Dean's International & Indigenous Initiatives Fund (DIIIF). Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Research and Work Experience

Board member and newsletter co-editor, Society for Romanian Studies (2022—)
• Co-edited semi-annual newsletter to inform SRS members of updates and goings-on in the field of Romanian studiesLibrarian, private collection (2021-2022)
• Catalogued large privately-held collection of books on social, anthropological, political, and historical topics in a variety of languagesResearch Assistant, University of Toronto (2019 - 2020)
• Worked in a team setting with fellow researchers and Holocaust survivors to complete research on survivor testimonies
• Assisted in creation of index, cataloguing system, and summaries of Holocaust survivor testimonies for print catalogue aimed at both researchers and the general publicYiddish Teaching Assistant, Bialik Hebrew Day School (2020)
• Worked alongside a Yiddish-language professor to teach basic-to-intermediate concepts in Yiddish language and Jewish history to elementary-aged childrenVolunteer archivist, Ontario Jewish Archives (2019)
• Conducted original research for use in catalogue, archive, and in promotional materials
• Organized and processed new donations to archives, including completing research to discern significance and context of materials
• Published write-ups on items of interestEvents Assistant, Anne Tanenbaum Centre for Jewish Studies (2019 - 2020)
• Assisted in promotion and creation of events for undergraduate students, graduate students, and the general public
• Prepared promotional and educational materials for events
• Assisted in the set-up of event spaces and the reception of guestsAcademic Campus Assistant, Test and Exam Services, University of Toronto (2017 - 2020)
• Communicated with staff and faculty at the University of Toronto in the scheduling and administration of exams
• Transported, handled, and filed confidential and sensitive materials across the University of Toronto campus
• Maintained and worked with various databases, word processors, and administrative software
• Assisted international students and students with disability-related accommodation in administrative work relating to the University of Toronto
• Assisted students and faculty in the administration of accommodated tests and exams

Back to Homepage

Photography

In addition to academic work, I am a trained printmaker and have been keeping sketchbooks for the past decade. I have also done freelance graphic design and magazine layouts.Most recently, I have taken up photography, mainly as a hobby and means of capturing everyday life and my travels. Alongside street scenes, I am also interested in documenting (conflicting) social, political, and cultural movements.I post my analog and digital photography on Flickr and on Instagram.