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HANS FORAMITTI 
A PIONEER OF ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAMMETRY 
(1923 — 1982) 
P. Waldhäusl 
Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, University of Technology Vienna 
Gusshausstr. 27-29, A-1040 Vienna, Austria 
pw@ipf.tuwien.ac.at 
CIPA Heritage Documentation 
KEY WORDS: History, Cultural Heritage, Architecture, Close Range, Analog, Recording, Archiving, Change Detection 
ABSTRACT: 
At this opening of the first Hans Foramitti Session the life, professional ideas, and the personality of this Austrian pioneer of 
architectural photogrammetry shall be presented, based on his self-written CV. Hans Foramitti studied architecture 1945 — 1952 and 
worked in various positions before being awarded his doctorate in 1959. Afterwards he became a public official in the Austrian 
Federal Office for Preservation of Monuments and Sites. Foramitti contributed remarkably to the development of a unified practical 
system for the recording and documentation of pieces of art and architecture using mainly the Zeiss photogrammetric cameras, 
analogue stereo-restitution instruments, and accessories he developed himself. He founded a photogrammetric unit which became a 
Mecca of architects and gonservationists all over the world. In 1964 he was part in the foundation of the International Council of 
Monuments and Sites ICOMOS), and in 1969 he was co-founder of CIPA. Besides that he was an excellent teacher at the ICCROM 
in Rome and at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. Hans Foramitti died before he could become an Honorary Member of CIPA. 
The Foramitti Sessions shall be more than that: ISPRS and CIPA wish to thank and honour Hans Foramitti, this great personality, 
and tell future generations about this extraordinary cosmopolitan, developer and missionary of architectural photogrammetry. The 
Foramitti Sessions are devoted to Heritage Recording and Documentation, to the state of the art, the development of new 
methodology, and applications at present and in the future. 
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: 
Anlässlich der Eröffnung der ersten Hans Foramitti Sitzung sollen der Lebenslauf, die beruflichen Vorstellungen und die 
Persönlichkeit dieses österreichischen Pioniers der Architekturphotogrammetrie so vorgestellt werden, wie es aus seinem selbst 
geschriebenen curriculum vitae hervorgeht. Hans Foramitti studierte Architektur 1945-1952 und arbeitete dann in verschiedenen 
Positionen, ehe er 1959 sein Doktorat erwarb. Danach wurde er Beamter im Bundesdenkmalamt (BDA) in Wien. Foramitti trug 
Beachtenswertes zur Entwicklung eines einheitlichen und praktischen Systems für die Aufnahme und Dokumentation von 
Kunstgegenständen . und Architektur bei, wofür er - hauptsächlich von Carl Zeiss - photogrammetrische Kameras, 
Analogauswertegeräte und selbstentwickeltes Zubehôr einsetzte. Im BDA gründete er eine photogrammetrische Abteilung, die zu 
einem Mekka für Architekten und Konservatoren aus aller Welt wurde. 1964 hatte er Anteil an der Gründung des Internationalen 
Denkmalrates ICOMOS und 1969 war er Mitbegründer von CIPA. Außerdem war er ein ausgezeichneter Lehrer am ICCROM in 
Rom und an der Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Wien. Hans Foramitti starb, ehe er Ehrenmitglied des CIPA werden konnte. Die 
Hans Foramitti Sitzengen sollen mehr als das sein: ISPRS und CIPA möchten Hans Foramitti ehren, dieser großen Persönlichkeit 
danken und zukünftigen Generationen von diesem außergewöhnlichen Weltbürger, Weiterentwickler und Missionar der 
Architekturphotogrammetrie berichten. Die Foramitti Sitzungen sind der Datenaufnahme und Dokumentation des Kulturerbes 
gewidmet, dem Stand der Technik, der Entwicklung von neuen Methoden und praktischen Anwendungen in der Gegenwart und in 
der Zukunft. 
1. HANS FORAMITTI SESSIONS interesting applications as well as the future needs in the area 
of recording, documentation and information management of 
CIPA, the International Scientific Committee on Heritage the cultural heritage. At the beginning of the first Hans 
Documentation (1969-2000 Comite International de Photo- Foramitti Session CIPA remembers this prominent pioneer of 
grammétrie Architecturale), was jointly founded by ICOMOS architectural photogrammetry. His Curriculum Vitae (Kraus 
and ISPRS in 1969, and the Austrian architect Hans Foramitti 1982, Carbonnell 1983) is based on what he himself wrote 
was one of its most active motors. At the ISPRS Congresses in shortly before his death. The most important parts shall be 
Vienna 1996 and Amsterdam 2000 CIPA organised special presented here with some reminiscences inserted by the author 
sessions together with representatives of UNESCO and who met him first in 1962 and has known him well since. 
ICOMOS. In 2000 CIPA decided to regularly contribute to the Indeed it was Foramitti who motivated the author years later to 
ISPRS Congresses with a special session on the state of the art devote much of his time to CIPA. 
covering recent and expected technical developments, 
   
  
  
   
   
   
   
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
   
  
  
   
   
  
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