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International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B5. Istanbul 2004 
  
Figure 6: Foramitti international : ICOMOS General Assembly 
1981 
But in 1976 after the terrible earthquake in Friuli, Italy, 
Foramitti planned and executed emergency fieldwork to 
document the extent of the damage and provided the basis for 
technical measures to prevent further damage and collapse. He 
worked particularly on the preservation of the grossly damaged 
dome of Venzone: His office made the photogrammetric resti- 
tutions and produced the plans which were to help the recon- 
struction of the unique dome. He proclaimed a special earth- 
quake photogrammetry and his dreams since Friuli was to 
persuade the industry to construct a photogrammetric field resti- 
tution plotter. In 1980 he was able to announce a recom- 
mendation from the Head of the World Heritage Centre of 
UNESCO in this direction. (He would be proud to know that it 
exists today) 
  
  
Figure 7: Photogrammetrically plotted cracks after the earth 
quake in Friuli (1976) 
Foramitti closed his CV with the statement that “he had 
published about 100 scientific papers on: the history of 
technology and architecture; the preservation, revitalisation and 
preservation of old town centres; the prevention and repression 
of theft of artwork; emergency interventions; the construction 
of instruments; photogrammetry and surveying; safety 
measures; education and training on matters concerning 
libraries and documentation: horticulture; etc. Many papers 
have been translated and published in foreign countries, he 
counted 14 different languages. Some of his papers were even 
published in the Austrian Journal for Surveying and 
Photogrammetry." 
From 1969 he taught at the famous Vienna Academy of Fine 
Arts, where in 1980 he was awarded the position of University 
Docent for ‘conservation, restoration and investigation of works 
of art under special consideration of photogrammetric 
methods'. 
  
Figure 8: Foramitti with his wife and his team in Vienna (1972) 
The 1981 CIPA Symposium on Photogrammetry in 
Architecture and Preservation of Monuments took place in 
Vienna. The Symposium Organizers were Hans Foramitti (for 
CIPA and the Federal Office for Preservation of Monuments 
and Sites), Karl Kraus and the author (University of 
Technology Vienna), and Franz Mairinger, Carl Pruscha and 
Wilfried Posch (Academy of Fine Arts Vienna). It was to be 
the last time Foramitti's colleagues could follow his clear 
explanations. He was not able to finish the proceedings of the 
symposium; this had to be done by his collaborator Gottfried 
Bóhm. Hans Foramitti died from a heart attack on 6 June 1982. 
3. HANS FORAMITTT'S PRINCIPLES 
Foramitti’s application of photogrammetry was guided by 
scientific principles which the author has recalled from 
Carbonnell (1983) and from personal discussions with Hans 
Foramitti. 
l. Any building survey must provide an ‘as found’ record not 
just the idealised geometry. Deviations from smooth and 
pure geometry are essential features of art. 
2. Only photogrammetry can achieve such record and can 
restitute the object in a controlled and repeatable way 
(Today we have laser-scanning in combination with photo- 
grammetry. Foramitti would have used it !) 
LU 
Photogrammetry can provide in 1/100 of a second more 
than hand surveying in 100 hours. Foramitti used to joke: