On Monday, June 3, 1991, at 3:18 p.m., Maurice and Katia Krafft were too close to a pyroclastic flow emitted by Mount Unzen located on the island of Kyushu in Japan. The two volcanologists will not escape. Emblematic of volcanology in France with Haroun Tazieff, they therefore left us thirty years ago.
Excerpt from the documentary Volcans de Cendres et de Feu on Maurice and Katia Krafft. © Leanne Rocha
Mauritius and Katia Krafft were 45 and 49 years old respectively when a volcano, Unzen, finally ended their life asHomo vulcanicus wanderers as they called themselves. Americans called them volcano devils (the “volcano devils”) or even the ” volcanologists fastest in the world” given their hard-earned freedom to get to the scene of any ongoing eruption on the Planet very quickly, with the exception of the territories of the defunct Soviet Union. They have thus witnessed close to 150 eruptions, including those of Heimaey, in Iceland, of st helens and Mauna Loa in the United States, or evenOl Doinyo Lengai.
Images of Maurice and Katia Krafft shortly before their death, during the eruption of Unzen in Japan in 1991. To obtain a fairly accurate French translation, click on the white rectangle at the bottom right. The English subtitles should then appear. Then click on the nut to the right of the rectangle, then on “Subtitles” and finally on “Translate automatically”. Choose “French”. © svtop
They caught the volcanology virus as children, thanks in particular to films and books aboutHaroun Tazieffand they would later pass it on to many other enthusiasts, as their friends André Demaison and Jacques Durieux. Maurice and Katia will also be at the origin of Vulcaniaof which they will unfortunately not see the constructionbut which presents several objects that belonged to them.
A documentary from the PBS channel in the USA in 1987 on Maurice and Katia Krafft. To obtain a fairly accurate French translation, click on the white rectangle at the bottom right. The English subtitles should then appear. Then click on the nut to the right of the rectangle, then on “Subtitles” and finally on “Translate automatically”. Choose “French”. © Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
Friend and traveling companion of Katia and Maurice, André Demaison, is the author of the book Volcano Devils, published by Glénat editions in 2011, and which is published again for the 30th anniversary of the death of the two volcanologists. As a prelude to reading this biography, we can, and we even must, watch the interview with Maurice’s brother, Bertrand Krafft, in the video below. It is worth more than anything that could be written in this article in memory of Katia and Maurice.
Fred meets Bertrand Krafft, brother of Maurice, to talk about the famous couple Katia and Maurice Krafft, and their passion for volcanoes. A passion that carried them away in 1991, on the slopes of Mount Unzen in Japan. © The Official Sorcerer’s Spirit
For those who have not yet had the chance to see Maurice and Katia’s films or read their books, here are some additional links:
and for books that can be read online:
Stunning images in memory of Maurice and Katia. © Werner Herzog
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