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researcher lifeIdentity card
Name: Boris Behncke
Years: 57
Qualifying: researcher
Competition venue: Etna Observatory (Catania)
Field of activity: volcanology
Motto of life: The lava's the lover that licks your boots away (Genesis - “Dance on a volcano”)
Favorite color: red
 

It was 1969 when the British King Crimson released their cult album “In the court of the Crimson King”. Follower of progressive rock, Boris Behncke finds himself many years later "at the court" of the Etna Volcano. From Germany with fury and passion, Boris tells us about his life and his special relationship with Sicily and his "Great Mom".

 
How did your passion for science and in particular for volcanoes come about?
As a 10-year-old boy, I read in the newspapers about a spectacular and dramatic volcanic eruption in Iceland.
That story captivated me, and volcanoes have fascinated me ever since.
 
When did you move to Italy?
I moved from Germany in January 1997, so almost 23 years ago.
 
What prompted you to make this choice?
Certainly the particular charm of Etna pushed me, a volcano that by now I was visiting almost every
year since 1989, and which was almost always in business. I moved to do my PhD at
the University of Catania.
 
How soon did you feel at home in Sicily?
Honestly, almost immediately, because I had been coming to Sicily regularly for years and by now I knew many
people and I had friends.
 
What do you miss about Germany that you wish was in Sicily?
Perhaps the love for "public affairs": Italy is a wonderful country, full of enchanting places that very often, however, we end up not respecting or adequately valuing. But Sicily is also a land very rich in suggestions and creativity: I would gladly take these aspects to Germany!
 
In which university did you study?
I started studying at the University of Bochum in Germany, I graduated from the University instead
of Kiel – in the northernmost part of the country – and then I obtained my PhD in Catania.
Have you found something in your path that has put you in difficulty?
Sometimes I think the biggest obstacle to getting where I wanted to go was myself.
 
How many years have you been at INGV?
Since 1 April 2005, therefore for almost 15 years.
 
Is there a historical or current character to whom you are "devoted"?
There are several characters that I have a strong admiration of, for example there are some in my field
historical volcanologists such as the French Alfred Lacroix, who studied the devastating eruption of Montagne Pelée
on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean in 1902.
 
What excites you in private life?
My family, listening to music, watching movies.
 
And at work?
Going to our volcanoes, realizing how beautiful the work we do is.
 
An unforgettable moment you experienced at work?
There are so many of these unforgettable moments… But perhaps the most important one was
permanent hiring, was December 21, 2018, and that evening we drank with my wife
a bottle of champagne under Etna which was erupting from one of the summit craters.
 
And in private life?
The birth of my daughter.
 
We know that you are a guitarist and a music lover. What kind of music do you prefer and what do you
do you like to play?
My favorite music is the progressive rock (Pink Floyd style, Genesis…) but I've also always loved i
Beatles. I like to play everything that comes under my fingers.
 
Three songs you can't give up?
genesis – "Dance On A Volcano"; Pink Floyd – “Hey You”; Beatles – “Here Comes The Sun”.
 
You like sport?
I like swimming and volleyball, but mostly hiking (trekking).
 
Have you ever practiced them?
Never in a competitive way, but for pleasure yes; trekking is also part of my job.
 
Favorite dishes?
Anything containing porcini mushrooms or, alternatively, Bronte pistachios.
 
You like to travel?
A lot, I would like to do it a lot more.
 
What were the best ones?
Travels to our Aeolian Islands and a journey in the footsteps of my wife's family (who is French)
on the island of Martinique with the family.
 
What's your X-Factor?
To engage with humor and "drama" when speaking to an audience.
 
One last question: your favorite book?
Alfred Lacroix – “La Montagne Pelee and its eruptions” (1904)