Monica Dușan, Romanian folklorist and cultural activist, dies at 56

Monica Dușan (9 Nov 1967 – 2024), a doctor of ethnography and a leading promoter of the folk traditions of Țara Zarandului in Hunedoara County, Romania, has passed away. Born in the village of Ribița, she spent her career preserving local customs, costumes and oral heritage. Dușan served the Ribița town hall as director of the cultural centre, later as librarian, and worked as a museum curator for the Brad Local History and Ethnography Exhibition.

She authored and co‑authored several books, including the folk‑song collection *Florile dalbe de măr* and the monograph *Monografia etnofolclorică a comunei Ribița*. Her literary output also comprised numerous poems and reportage pieces published in national magazines. Over the years she received multiple national awards for literary reportage and essay writing (2011‑2015) and was honoured with diplomas of excellence for her cultural contributions. The community of Ribița and the wider Hunedoara region mourn her loss, with local officials offering condolences to her family.