Dr. Gruia Bădescu

I am interested in the relationship between urban reconfigurations and the societal processing of difficult pasts, especially after political violence during wars and dictatorships.

One focus is on the reconstruction of cities after wars, where my research concentrates on the former Yugoslavia and Lebanon. I also analyze the memorialization of political violence under authoritarian regimes in South America and in Central and Eastern Europe. Moreover, I have examined how dictatorships reshaped cities through large-scale demolitions and evictions. Across contexts of war and dictatorship, I have traced how local actors framed destruction and urban interventions as forms of violence against cities. During my TraCe Fellowship, I will work on the conceptualization of urban violence and deliver the keynote at the TraCe Colloquium on „Urban Violence“.

Research Area Interpretations: 3.3 Interpretation of Violence in the City