Lavinia Betea named Honorary Citizen of Arad

Lavinia Betea has been awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Arad in recognition of her extensive academic, scientific, and journalistic contributions. Betea serves as the first vice-president of the ‘Ioan Slavici’ Arad branch of the Union of Professional Journalists in Romania (UZPR) and is a member of its Board of Directors.

A journalist, writer, university professor, and researcher specializing in the history of communism, Betea was honored for her role in promoting the image of Arad both nationally and internationally. In her acceptance speech, she reflected on her personal connection to the city, noting how her experiences in local boarding schools and her years working in journalism—particularly during the transition of December 1989—shaped her academic focus on documenting the communist era and preserving collective memory.