GFZ’s position to the process in L’Aquila

The charge with manslaughter against six scientists and a government administrator in L’Aquila in connection with the earthquake of 06 April 2009 also concerns us, as scientists of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. This verdict is alarming as it demonstrates that scientists are blamed for uncertainties in research and their public perception.


The earthquake in L’Aquila shows, on the one hand, the high degree of unpredictability in warning against earthquakes. On the other hand, it points to a significant deficit in risk awareness in politics and society in Italy – and also in other countries.

The conviction of scientific members of an advisory board is not a suitable means of reducing future casualties and damage due to earthquakes. For this reason we appeal to politics and authorities to increase the public awareness of earthquake risk and to take all efforts to strengthen earthquake research and earthquake engineering sciences.

Not drastic convictions but rather local-regional and national programmes on earthquake provisions and risk reduction are appropriate to help minimise future victims and damage. Such measures include, in particular, the training and generation of risk awareness among public authorities and the general public as well as the provision of suitable resources, earthquake-resistant construction methods and the upgrading of building structures.

The scientists of the GFZ take on their societal responsibility by making their results and findings available to the public to the best of their knowledge and judgement. They are, hereby, in close exchange with their colleagues worldwide, also in Italy. Scientific research is tainted with uncertainties. This also holds true for the transfer of science into society.

It lies in the hands of the public and political authorities to deduce concrete measures from this available knowledge. Despite this verdict, the GFZ encourages its scientists to continue their commitment on advisory boards of administrative bodies and public authorities.

Prof. Dr. Reinhard Hüttl (Scientific Executive Director, GFZ)
Dr. Stefan Schwartze (Administrative Executive Director, GFZ)