Jean Vogt 1929–2005: His Life as a Seismologist, Geologist, Geographer, and Historian - Historical Seismology: Interdisciplinary Studies of Past and Recent Earthquakes - page 8

Projet Sismotectonique were published in a topic (Vogt 1979) that will remain as a
milestone for French and European historical earthquake investigation.
The seismo-tectonic map of France at a scale of 1/1,000,000 appeared 2 years
later (Vogt and Godefroy 1981). As a consequence of the successful seismo-tectonic
project, the BRGM took over the BCSF the responsibility of the French macroseis-
mic enquiries in 1978. Vogt realized that the post-Perrey period (1871-1920) and the
BCSF period (1921-1977) also needed a complete revision (Vogt 1982). The revi-
sion would be based in part on a re-exploitation of IPGS archives. In 1982, a seismic
service ( Antenne Sismique ) was created with the pre-existing Regional Geological
Service of the BRGM, in the neighbourhoods of Strasbourg, directed by Jean Vogt.
The BRGM archive boxes were sent to Strasbourg, after a safety microfilming was
performed (the microfilms were later digitized for the Sirene database). In Stras-
bourg, Jean Vogt was confronted to many difficulties. A controversy arose between
the BRGM and Universities, which complained having been spoiled from Rothe's
files and catalogues and from the macroseismic enquiries. The BRGM underwent
itself a profound crisis. The Antenne Sismique did not receive the necessary budget
to complete all its missions, particularly the revision of the earthquakes of the past.
Jean Vogt suffered from these difficult circumstances, and his relations with local
BRGM and IPGS administrations were deteriorating (Vogt 2003a). This led him to
a premature retirement in October 1984, at the age of 55, and to the closing down
of the Antenne Sismique in Strasbourg.
6 Jean Vogt's Roaming 1985-2005
Vogt's professional retirement was all but a withdrawal from scientific activity and
field investigation. Instead, once free of administrative slownesses and constraints,
he became a protagonist and was at root of developing new ways and methods in the
field of Historical seismology, in Europe and the rest of the world. He had planned
to exploit the numerous documents he had gathered personally, i.e. during his free
time, in the past 10 years. Unfortunately, the BRGM did not allow him to take back
his documents that were stored with the rest of the Sirene stock. Jean Vogt sued the
BRGM, lost the trial and, despite his frustration, from 1985 on he continued as a
“free-lancer”.
In 1986, the Working Group “Historical Earthquake Data”, proposed by Rolf
Gutdeutsch (University of Vienna), was established on the occasion of the ESC
General Assembly in Kiel, Germany; Jean Vogt was among its pristine contributors.
He actively joined the discussion during the first WG Workshop held in Vienna
(June 1987), and from then on, he became one of the leading voices among the
researchers on past earthquakes, both in practice and theory.
Jean Vogt was one of the researchers who collaborated with the European Com-
mission project “Review of Historical Seismicity in Europe-RHISE” (1988-1992),
specifically devoted to the seismicity of the past. He participated in meetings held
in the partner countries (Portugal, Spain, Greece, Italy, United Kingdom, France,