Academic conference on Edith Stein in Wrocław – 2026

The Edith Stein Society in Wrocław and the Faculty of Theology at UKSW invite you to the academic conference “From the Study On the Problem of Empathy to Saint of the Universal Church,” which will take place on Monday, October 12, 2026, at the Edith Stein House in Wrocław. The conference will be preceded by the Society’s awards ceremony on Sunday, October 11, at 3:00 PM.

Program of this year’s academic conference on Edith Stein in Wrocław

Session I (11:00 AM – 12:40 PM)

Fr. Prof. Marek Tatar – OPENING LECTURE, From Empathy to Encountering God (11:00–11:20 AM)

Prof. Przemysław Ostojski – The Person as an Individual, a Human Being, and a Member of a Community: Political Affiliation and State Borders in the Thought of Edith Stein (11:20–11:40 AM)

Assoc. Prof. Agata Rybińska – Edith Stein and the History of a Certain Jewish Family 100 Years Later: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (Humanities) (11:40 AM – 12:00 PM)

Prof. Mirjana Pinezić – From the Phenomenology of Life to the Eucharistic Transformation of Creation: A Developmental Path from ‘On the Problem of Empathy’ to the Mature Thought of Edith Stein (12:00–12:20)

Discussion (12:20–12:30)

Coffee break (12:30–12:40)

Session II (12:40–14:20)

Dr. Marek Kosendiak – The Intellectual Topography of Edith Stein (1913–1918): A Reconstruction of the Places Where She Lived, Studied, and Worked on the Dissertation On the Problem of Empathy (12:40–13:00)

Przemysław Dzielecki, MA – From Empathy to the Science of the Cross: The Psychological-Theological Path to the Experience of God in the Writings of Edith Stein (13:00–13:20)

Fr. Prof. Mariusz Rosik – How to Reach the Altars: A History of Beatification and Canonization Processes (13:20–13:40)

Deacon Mateusz Posmyk, MA – Conscience as a Place of Encounter with God: A Comparative Analysis of Selected Elements of the Experience of God’s Presence in the Lives of Edith Stein and John Henry Newman (13:40–14:00)

Discussion (14:00–14:20)

Lunch break (14:20–15:00)

Session III (15:00–16:20)

Fr. Dr. Tymoteusz Mietelski – Edith Stein’s concept of empathy against the backdrop of other philosophical approaches to the problem of knowing the other (15:00–15:20)

Dr. Tomasz Staniszewski – The idea of ​​the active life in the thought of Saint Edith Stein within the context of reflections on the human earthly journey (15:20–15:40)

Jana Fullová, MA – “What is the Human Person?” — Edith Stein’s Phenomenological Personalism and the Contribution of Woman in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (15:40–16:00)

Dr. Eng. Marzena Heliak-Rużyła – The experience of empathy as an aesthetic experience in the thought of Edith Stein (16:00–16:20)

Discussion (16:20–16:30)

Coffee break (16:30–16:40)

Session IV (16:40–18:00)

Prof. Michał Januszkiewicz – Edith Stein: Between the phenomenology of empathy and the hermeneutics of the heart (16:40–17:00)

Aleksandra Klauza, MA – Knowing the Cross in order to live it. The “Science of the Cross” in the reflections of Edith Stein (17:00–17:20)

Dr. Agnieszka Rybińska – Edith Stein: From positivism (and feminism) to mysticism. (17:20–17:40)

Discussion (17:40–18:00)

This academic Conference on Edith Stein in Wroclaw will commemorate the 110th anniversary of St. Edith Stein receiving her doctorate in philosophy and will provide an opportunity to reflect on her scholarly achievements, philosophy, body of work, and legacy. The Conference will be held predominantly in Polish. Please save the date—Monday, October 12—and join us. Please confirm your attendance by emailing: konferencja@edytastein.org.pl

The conference will be preceded by the Society’s Awards Gala, taking place the day before—on Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 3:00 PM.

ST. EDITH STEIN AWARDS GALA AT THE EDITH STEIN HOUSE (38 NOWOWIEJSKA ST.)

3:00 PM

Concert by Trio Versatile (musicians from the Wrocław Opera): Adam Czermak (violin), Paweł Karaś (clarinet), Ashot Babrouski (piano)

4:00 PM

– Presentation of the Edith Stein Award to the 2026 laureates:

Mr. Helmut STROBL (Austria),
Fr. Prof.  Mariusz ROSIK
The Discalced Carmelite Publishing House (Cracow)

– Presentation of the honorary membership diploma to:

Sister Dr. Cécile Rastoin of the Carmel in Paris-Montmartre,
Father Henryk Romanik of the Cathedral Parish in Koszalin
Ms. Agata Combik – journalist for Gość Niedzielny