Abstract

European seismology has a great and ancient tradition. Its material traces — instruments, seismic recordings, letters between scientists — are a fundamental heritage from a scientific and historical point of view; often they are abandoned, scattered or even destroyed. It is necessary to start concrete, scientifically developed initiatives to stop such a heavy, progressive loss. Instruments, seismic recordings and scientific letters must be recovered and brought out on behalf of seismologists, using the tools of science history. Important results have already been yielded by two initiatives: the former has been carried out in Italy; the latter on an European scale. In Italy, the census of the historical potential of meteorological and seismic observatories, of seismic instruments and recordings has been taken, besides providing information about the availability of scientific correspondence archives. In Europe, the census taken by the Working Group of History of Seismometry allowed to be discovered information regarding the operative condition and the data availability of over 400 instruments since 1892.

Experiences made up to now have established clear goals, users, procedures and protagonists of the recovery. These initiatives must be taken in a co-ordinate and multidisciplinary reference framework, where each experience can be spread and shared by scholars and institutions.