Jean Vogt 1929–2005: His Life as a Seismologist, Geologist, Geographer, and Historian - Historical Seismology: Interdisciplinary Studies of Past and Recent Earthquakes - page 4

2 Saarbr ucken, Strasbourg 1951-1955
In fall 1951, J. Vogt moved to Saarbrucken, the capital of the present German Saar
state, where he was appointed as Assistant with the European Saarland University
for the next two years. [The University had been recently created by the French ad-
ministration, since Saar was a protectorate under French control since 1945. France
and the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) developed in the early 50s a
plan to establish an independent Saar state, 1 thought to become ultimately the centre
of the new political Europe. But a plebiscite in Saar rejected it in October 1955, and
Saar joined the Federal Republic of Germany in January 1957.] After one year per-
forming military service in Tunisia and in Nancy (France), he returned in October
1954 to the Geographical Institute in Strasbourg. There, he was appointed by the
French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) as Stagiaire de recherche
(Research Trainee). During this first professional period, he developed further his
analysis of historical soil erosion, which he decided to be the subject of the the-
sis he planned to prepare in the next years. At the same time, he explored a few
new geographical themes oriented towards the American continent (Canada, Cuba,
Porto-Rico). His work on Canadian hydrocarbons was the first sign of his next move
towards the geological and mineral industry.
3 Western Africa 1955-1960
In May 1955 Jean Vogt put an end to his promising domestic academic career; he
chose instead the adventurous life of a field geologist in the overseas. He joined the
Direction Federale des Mines et de la Geologie de l'Afrique Occidentale Fran¸aise
(DFMG) based in Dakar, Senegal. (Soon after, in 1957, the Department was re-
named as Service de Geologie et de Prospection Miniere (SGPM).) Indeed, after
WWII France decided to develop its mining industry in its overseas territories. The
geological development of French Sub-Saharan Africa was strongly sustained by
the new Bureau Minier de la France d'Outre-Mer (BUMIFOM) created in 1948.
Pre-existing Geology and Mines Departments in Federal French Western Africa
(AOF) and Federal French Equatorial Africa (AEF) were reinforced. Their geolog-
ical services were in charge of geological mapping and preliminary wide-area min-
eral prospecting, while the services of mines were in charge of permitting and mines
exploitation. The BUMIFOM worked in between, performing detailed prospecting
of previously inferred mineral deposits. Hundreds of young Frenchmen left the
mainland and headed for these remote and exciting territories searching for gold,
diamonds, and other attractive minerals (Legoux and Marelle 1991).
1 Saar was disputed between France and Germany for several centuries. It was under French admin-
istration during three periods, simplifying: French Departement 1792-1814, French administration
under control of the League of Nations 1920-1935, French Protectorate 1945-1956.