History of ESC

How the European Seismological Commission was started

Seismology has a long tradition in Europe. At the end of the 1800s, the first seismographs were installed and systematic research started to be carried out in various places and institutions. The foundation of the International Seismological Association (IAS) in 1904 demonstrated that international collaboration in seismology was already given high priority in Europe. In 1949 some European scientists, lead by Miss I. Lehmann, Denmark; C. Charlier, Belgium; J.-P. Rothe, France and W. Vissier, Holland, prepared a project which later merged to the formal creation of the ESC in 1952.

The first constituent meeting was convened in Verona (Italy) in 1950.

Representatives from Denmark (I. Lehmann), France (G. Grenet, E. Peterschmitt, J.-P. Rothe), Germany (E. Hardtwig, H. Menzel, L. Mintrop, G.Schultze, Italy (G. Aliverti, P. Caloi, A. Giorgi, G. Imbo, G. Medi, C. Morelli, M. De Panfilis, G. Pannochia, L. Valle, F. Peronaci), Spain (J. Bonelli, Gomez), Switzerland (E. Guyot, Mercier), UK (Baxter, R. Stonely, P. Willmore) created the Federation of European Seismologists.

At the 9^th IUGG General Assembly in Brussels in 1951, the International Seismological Association (now IASPEI) created the ESC.

The first regular meeting of the ESC was organised in 1952 by W. Hiller in Stuttgart under the title "Seismic Structure of the European Continent". Thirteen European countries were represented at this general assembly of the ESC. The first resolutions of the ESC were adopted at this meeting and these included;

1. Installation of new seismological stations with up-to-date instruments.
2. Creation of national catalogues of earthquakes.
3. Application of explosion seismology for better knowledge of the crust.
4. Establishment of a service for rapid determinations of epicentres located in Europe and adjacent regions.
5. Preservation of old seismograms for future work.

The above resolutions are today being re-enforced within the ESC.

 

EUROPEAN SEISMOLOGICAL COMMISSION

Presidents

Secretary-Generals

 

1951-52

President: W. Hiller (Germany)

Vice-Presidents: -

Secretary-General: P. Caloi (Italy)

 

1952-54

President: W. Hiller (Germany)

Vice-Presidents: -

Secretary-General: P. Caloi (Italy)

 

1954-56

President: W. Hiller (Germany)

Vice-Presidents: -

Secretary-General: P. Caloi (Italy)

 

1956-58

President: P. Caloi (Italy)

Vice-President: W. Hiller (Germany)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

 

1958-59

President: P. Caloi (Italy)

Vice-Presidents: J. Bonelli (Italy), E. Savarensky (USSR)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

 

1959-60

President: J. Bonelli (Italy)

Vice-Presidents: E. Savarensky (USSR), A. Zatopek (CSSR)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

 

1960-62

President: J. Bonelli (Spain)

Vice-Presidents: E. Savarensky (USSR), A. Zatopek (CSSR)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

 

1962-64

President: A. Zatopek (CSSR)

Vice-Presidents: E. Savarensky (USSR), E. Vesanen (Finland)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

 

1964-66

President: A. Zatopek (CSSR)

Vice-Presidents: E. Savarensky (USSR), E. Vesanen (Finland)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

Secretary: J.M. van Gils (Belgium)

 

1966-68

President: M.H. Jensen (Denmark)

Vice-Presidents: E. Savarensky (USSR), W. Sponheuer (GDR)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

Secretary: J.M. van Gils (Belgium)

 

1968-70

President: M.H. Jensen (Denmark)

Vice-Presidents: W. Sponheuer (DDR), E. Savarensky (USSR)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

Secretary: J.M. van Gils (Belgium)

 

1970-72

President: E. Savarensky (USSR)

Vice-Presidents: St. Mueller (Switzerland), R. Teisseyre (Poland)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

Secretary: J.M. van Gils (Belgium)

 

1972-74

President: St. Mueller (Switzerland)

Vice-Presidents: R. Teisseyre (Poland), L. Constantinescu (Romania)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

Secretary: J-M. van Gils (Belgium)

 

1974-76

President: St. Mueller (Switzerland)

Vice-Presidents: R. Teisseyre (Poland), L. Constantinescu (Romania)

Secretary-General: E. Peterschmitt (France)

Secretary: J.M. van Gils (Belgium)

 

1976-78

President: R. Teisseyre (Poland)

Vice-Presidents: N. Kondorskaya (USSR), H. Korhonen (Finland)

Secretary-General: J-M. van Gils (Belgium)

Secretary: L. Waniek (CSSR)

 

1978-80

President: A.R. Ritsema (Netherlands)

Vice-Presidents: N. Kondorskaya (USSR), E. Bistricsany (Hungary)

Secretary-General: J-M. van Gils (Belgium)

Secretary: L. Waniek

 

1980-82

President: A.R. Ritsema (The Netherlands)

Vice-Presidents: N.V. Kondorskaya (USSR), E. Bisztricsany (Hungary)

Secretary-General: J-M. van Gils (Belgium)

Secretary: L.Waniek (Czechoslovakia)

 

1982-84

President: H. Stiller (GDR)

Vice-Presidents: E. Bisztricsany (Hungary), A. Udias (Spain)

Secretary-General: J.M. van Gils (Belgium)

Secretary: L. Waniek (Czechoslovakia)

 

1984-86

President: H. Stiller (GDR)

Vice-Presidents: A. Udias (Spain), I. L. Nersesov (USSR)

Secretary-General: J.M. van Gils (Belgium)

Secretary: D. Mayer-Rosa (Switzerland)

 

1986-88

President: C. Morelli (Italy)

Vice-Presidents: I.L. Nersesov (USSR), P. Burton (UK)

Secretary-General: D. Mayer-Rosa (Switzerland)

Secretary: L. Christoskov (Bulgaria)

 

1988-90

President: C. Morelli (Italy)

Vice-Presidents: P. Burton (UK), L. Christoskov (Bulgaria)

Secretary-General: D. Mayer-Rosa (Switzerland)

Secretary: A. Roca (Spain)

 

1990-92

President: L. Waniek (Czechoslovakia)

Vice-Presidents: G. Sobolev (Russian Fed.), G. Nolet (The Netherlands)

Secretary-General: D. Mayer-Rosa (Switzerland)

Secretary: -

 

1992-94

President: L.Waniek (Czechoslovakia)

Vice-Presidents: G. Sobolev (Russian Fed.), J. Drakopoulos (Greece)

Secretary-General: P. Suhadolc (Italy)

Assistant Secretary: D. Mayer-Rosa (Switzerland)

 

1994-96

President: G. Sobolev (Russian Fed.)

Vice-Presidents: J. Drakopoulos (Greece), R. Stefansson (Iceland)

Secretary-General: P. Suhadolc (Italy)

Assistant Secretary: A.B. Walker (UK)

 

1996-98

President: G.A. Sobolev (Russian Fed.)

Vice-Presidents: R. Stefansson (Iceland), A. Shapira (Israel)

Secretary-General: P. Suhadolc (Italy)

Assistant Secretary: A.B. Walker (UK)

 

1998-2000

President: L. Mendes Viktor (Portugal)

Vice-Presidents: A. Shapira (Israel), D. Giardini (Switzerland)

Secretary-General: P. Suhadolc (Italy)

Assistant Secretary: A.B. Walker (UK)

 

2000-02

President: L. Mendes Victor (Portugal)

Vice-Presidents: C. Eva (Italy), D. Giardini (Switzerland)

Secretary-General: P. Suhadolc (Italy)

Assistant Secretary: A.B. Walker (UK)

 

2002-04

President: C. Eva (Italy)

Vice-President: J. Zscau (Germany)

Secretary-General: M. Garcia Fernandez (Spain)

Assistant Secretary: A.B. Walker (UK)

 

2004-06

President: C. Eva (Italy)

Vice-Presidents: J. Zscau (Germany), J. Zahradnik (Czech Republic)

Secretary-General: M. Garcia Fernandez (Spain)

Assistant Secretary: D. Faeh (Switzerland)

 

2006-08

President: D. Giardini (Switzerland)

Vice-President: G. Papadopoulos (Greece)

Secretary-General: M. Garcia Fernandez (Spain)

Assistant Secretary: I. Cecic (Slovenia)

 

2008-10

President: J. Zschau (Germany)

Vice-President: M. Cara (France)

Secretary-General: M. Garcia Fernandez (Spain)

Assistant Secretary: I. Cecic (Slovenia)

 

2010-12

President: S.S. Jakobsdóttir (Iceland)

Vice-President: A. Zavyalov (Russia)

Secretary-General: M. Garcia Fernandez (Spain)

Assistant Secretary: I. Cecic (Slovenia)

2012-14

President: A. Zavyalov (Russia)

Vice-President: M. Nurlu (Turkey)

Secretary-General: M. Garcia Fernandez (Spain) 

Assistant Secretary: S. Parolai (Germany)

 

2014-2016

President: W. Lenhardt (Austria)

Vice-President: M. Mucciarelli (Italy)

Secretary-General: S. Parolai (Germany) 

Assistant Secretary: P. Mäntyniemi (Finland)

 

2016-2018

President: I. Cecic (Slovenia)

Vice-President: S. D'Amico (Malta)

Secretary-General: S. Parolai (Germany, Italy) 

Assistant Secretary: P. Mäntyniemi (Finland)

 

2018-2021

President: M.J. Jiménez (Spain)

Vice-President: N. Voulgaris (Greece)

Secretary-General: S. Parolai (Italy) 

Assistant Secretary: P. Mäntyniemi (Finland)

 

2021-2022

President: M.J. Jiménez (Spain)

Vice-President: C. Ionescu (Romania)

Secretary-General: S. Parolai (Italy)

Assistant Secretary: P. Mäntyniemi (Finland)

 

2022-

President: Dmitry A. Storchak (UK)

Vice-President: N. Voulgaris (Greece)

Secretary-General: Adrien Oth (Luxembourg)

Assistant Secretary: O.-J. Ktenidou (Greece)

 

General Assemblies:

I 1952 Stuttgart

II 1954 Rome

III 1956 Vienna

IV 1958 Utrecht

V 1959 Alicante

VI 1960 Helsinki

VII 1962 Jena

VIII 1964 Budapest

IX 1966 Copenhagen

X 1968 Leningrad

XI 1969 Madrid

XII 1970 Luxembourg

XIII 1972 Brasov

XIV 1974 Trieste

XV 1976 Cracow

XVI 1978 Strasbourg

XVII 1980 Budapest

XVIII 1982 Leeds

XIX 1984 Moscow

XX 1986 Kiel

XXI 1988 Sofia

XXII 1990 Barcelona

XXIII 1992 Prague

XXIV 1994 Athens

XXV 1996 Reykjavík

XXVI 1998 Tel Aviv

XXVII 2000 Lisbon

XXVIII 2002 Genova

XXIX 2004 Potsdam

XXX 2006 Geneva

XXXI 2008 Hersonissos

XXXII 2010 Montpelier

XXXIII 2012 Moscow

XXXIV 2014 Istanbul

XXXV 2016 Trieste

XXXVI 2018 Valletta

XXXVII 2021 Corfu (virtual)

XXXVIII 2022 Bucharest

XXXIX 2024 Corfu

 

Materials related to some of the General Assemblies can be found here.