Dr. Anna Heller

Persian dramatic literature and theatre of the 20th century, including:
- Social images and national identity in dramatic literature
- Images of women and women's roles in the theatre
- Biographies of women in the history of theatre
- Dissident literature of the late Pahlavi period: political theatre

Gender roles, social identities, and processes of politicisation in Iranian popular culture

Current project:
Women in 20th-century Iranian Theatre History: A gender-inclusive Theatrebiography of Loreta Hayrapetiyan and Abdolhoseyn Nushin

Anna Heller completed her PhD at the Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg in 2021 with her thesis on the theatre and dramatic literature of early Pahlavi Iran.
Since 2021, she has been employed as research fellow (PostDoc) at the Department of Iranian Studies, CNMS, at Philipps University of Marburg. Here she is actively researching new topics on 20th century Iranian theatre. Since 2014, Anna has been teaching language courses (Persian basics) and seminars for the BA programmes of the CNMS and the MA Iranian Studies at the Philipps University of Marburg.

Academic career

Since fall/winter 2021: Research fellow (Post Doc) at the Department of  Iranian Studies, CNMS, Philipps University of Marburg

2021: PhD in Iranian Studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies, Otto Friedrich University of Bamberg. Title of the dissertation: Nationalism on Stage: The New Iranian Drama as a Forum of National-Secular Discourse in early Pahlavi rule.

2014–2019    Doctoral studies at the Department of Iranian Studies, Centre for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS), Philipps University of Marburg

2012–2014      MA Iranian Studies, CNMS, Philipps University of Marburg

2011–2012      BA Oriental Studies, CNMS, Philipps University of Marburg

2008–2011      BA programme Iranian Studies, Asian-Africa-Institute, University of Hamburg, with minors in History and Indo-European Studies

Scholarships

Doctoral scholarship of the Gerda Henkel Foundation in the framework of the special programme "Islam, the modern nation state and transnational movements" by the example of Iran in early Pahlavi time (1925-1941), with the research project "Nationalism on Stage. Modern Iranian Theatre as a Forum for the National-Secular Discourse", under the direction of Prof. Dr. Christoph Werner, at the Department of Iranian Studies, CNMS, Philipps-Universität Marburg (2015-2018).

Nationalismus auf der Bühne. Theater als Forum des national-säkularen Diskurses in der frühen Pahlavi-Zeit. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2023. (Mîzân - Studien zur Literatur in der islamischen Welt, 34.)

„Das iranische moderne Theater“, in Ludwig Paul (Hg.), Handbuch der Iranistik, Bd. 2, Wiesbaden: Reichert, 2017, S. 308-312.

Forthcoming: 
“The Female Pioneers of the Iranian Stage: Images, Role Models, and Social Perceptions”. In: Journal of Global Theatre History 5, 1 (forthcoming spring 2025, special issue: Stages of Performing in Pahlavi Iran, 1925–1979. Ed. by Anna Heller and Nic Leonhardt)

“Memory and Remembrance: Including Women's Biographies in Iranian Theatre History”. International Workshop: The Cultural History of Late Pahlavi Iran (Part II), Department of Iranian Studies, CNMS, Marburg,  November 2024.

"Addressing the Female Pioneers of the Theatre: Loreta Hayrapetian's Biography in the Context of a Feminist Theatre History", Interdisciplinary Workshop: Stages of Performing in Pahlavi Iran (1925-1979) April 2024.

"Nationalism on Stage: Theater and Nation Building in early Pahlavi-Iran", Final Conference of the Gerda Henkel Foundation Special Program: Islam, The Modern Nation State and Transnational Movements, Düsseldorf, October 2023.

"Representations of Women in Theatre History by the Example of Loreta Hayrapetian", Tenth European Conference of Iranian Studies (ECIS), Leiden (NL), August 2023.

"Perspectives of Islamic and Secular Feminism on Women's Rights in Iran", International Conference: Anti-Feminism and Anti-Gender Politics in Authoritarian Regimes, Herder Institut and CNMS, Marburg, June 2023.

„100 Years of Laughter: Moqaddam’s Jaʿfar Khan is back from Europe as an Everlasting Classic of Iranian Theatre", 34. Deutscher Orientalistentag 2022, Berlin, September 2022.

„Schauplatz der Lustbarkeiten und Orte der Läuterung: Gärten in der iranischen Kultur“, Vortrag im Studium Generale der Universität Marburg im WS 2021/22, Dezember 2021.

 „Saviors of the Iranian Nation and her Men: Images of Strong Women in Early 20th Century Dramatic Literature”, Ninth European Conference of Iranian Studies (ECIS), Berlin, September 2019.

 „Where to Put Drama? On the (Im)Possibilities of Locating and Defining Iran’s early 20th Century ‘Drama’ as a Genre”, own presentation at workshop: Modern and Contemporary Persian Literature: Genres and Representations, Philipps-Universität Marburg, CNMS, June 2018.

 „‚Mutter Heimat’ als identitätsstiftende Nationalsymbolik in der iranischen Theaterliteratur der Ära Reza Schah“, 33. Deutscher Orientalistentag 2017, Jena, August 2017.

 „’Hifdah-e Dey’ as Theatrical Topic: State Propaganda or Social Reflection of the 1936’s Unveiling of Iran’s Women?”, own presentation at wWorkshop: Interdisciplinary Doctoral Workshop on Modern Iranian Literature, Philipps-Universität Marburg, CNMS, Mai 2017.

 „A Nation’s Struggle between Revolt and Revolution: Gholam-Hoseyn Saʿedi and the Constitutional Revolution”, Eighth European Conference of Iranian Studies (ECIS), St. Petersburg, September 2015.

 „A First Overview of Hedayat’s Parvin Dokhtar-e Sasan“, own presentation at workshop Contemporary Iranian Literature: Fiction, Drama, Translation, Philipps-Universität Marburg, CNMS, May 2015.

 „A Nation’s Struggle between Revolt and Revolution: Gholam-Hoseyn Saʿedi and the Constitutional Revolution”, Symposia Iranica, University of Cambridge, UK, April 2015.

 „Gholam-Hoseyn Sa’edis Panjnamayesh-nameh az enqelab-e mashrutiyat als individuelle Auflehnung gegen kollektive Resignation?“, 21. internationaler Kongress der DAVO, Universität zu Köln, September 2014.

International Workshop: The Cultural History of Late Pahlavi Iran (Part II), convenor: Prof. Dr. Bianca Devos. Assistance with the organisation and implementation; Marburg 27.–29. November 2024

Interdisciplinary Workshop: Stages of Performing in Pahlavi Iran (1925-1979), curated and organised in collaboration with PD Dr. Nic Leonhardt (Käte Hamburger Research Centre global dis:connect, Munich), 11-12 April, 2024

Interdisciplinary Workshop: Stages of Performing in Pahlavi Iran (1925-1979), curated and organised in collaboration with PD Dr. Nic Leonhardt (Käte Hamburger Research Centre global dis:connect, Munich), 11-12 April, 2024

Interdisciplinary Workshop: An Introduction to Iranian Music, Department of Iranian Studies, CNMS, Philipps University of Marburg, Lecturer: Elshan Ghasimi (Berlin), 6.–8. July 2022

International Workshop: Modern and Contemporary Persian Literature: Genres and Representation, in cooperation with Dr. Goulia Ghardakhshani-Otter, CNMS, Philipps-University of Marburg, June 2018

Interdisciplinary Doctoral Workshop on Modern Iranian Literature, Philipps-University of Marburg, CNMS, Mai 2017

Doctoral Workshop: Contemporary Iranian Literature: Fiction, Drama, Translation, Philipps-University of Marburg, CNMS, Mai 2015

Summer Intensive Course: Reading Siyaq! The Secret Script of Iranian Chanceries, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Christoph U. Werner and Dr. Emad al-Din Shaikh al Hokamaee, Department of Iranian Studies, CNMS, Philipps University of Marburg, August 2013

Summer School: Early Judaeo-Persian and West Iranian Dialectology, Organised by Prof. Dr. Ludwig Paul, Dr. Agnes Korn and Dr. Thamar E. Gindin; Assistance with the organisation and implementation, support for the international participants. Department of Iranian Studies, Asien-Africa-Institute, University of Hamburg, August 2010

Seit 2024 Mitglied Fachbereichsrat FB 10 - Fremdsprachliche Philologien/
Since 2024 Member of the Faculty Council FB 10 - Foreign Languages and Cultures

2022-24 Stellvertretendes Mitglied Fachbereichsrat FB 10 - Fremdsprachliche Philologien/
2022-24 Deputy member of the Faculty Council FB 10 - Foreign Languages and Cultures

Seit 2022 Mitglied des Studienausschusses des CNMS/
Since 2022 Member of CNMS Study Committee

2023-24 Stellvertretendes Mitglied des Direktoriums des CNMS/
2023-24 Deputy member of the CNMS Directory Board

2022-2023 Nachhaltigkeitsbeauftragte des FB 10 - Fremdsprachliche Philologien (gelebte Nachhaltigkeit in der Philipps-Universität Marburg) / Sustainability at the University of Marburg