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Mark Benecke (born 26 August 1970) is a German forensic biologist.


Career


Science

Benecke has worked on the identification of
Adolf Adolf (also spelt Adolph or Adolphe, Adolfo and when Latinised Adolphus) is a given name used in German-speaking countries, Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Flanders, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and to a lesser extent in vari ...
and Eva Hitler's skull and teeth in Moscow, and is the only forensic scientist to work on the case of Colombian serial killer and rapist
Luis Garavito Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos (born 25 January 1957), also known as ''La Bestia'' ("The Beast") or ''Tribilin'' ("Goofy") is a Colombian serial killer, pederast, rapist, child molester, and necrophile. In October 1999, he confessed to comm ...
. Some of his forensic cases have been covered by the
National Geographic Channel National Geographic (formerly National Geographic Channel; abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo or Nat Geo TV) is an American pay television television network, network and flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel owned by the National Geograp ...
and the
History Channel History (formerly The History Channel from January 1, 1995 to February 15, 2008, stylized as HISTORY) is an American pay television network and flagship channel owned by A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney ...
. Benecke has published several best-selling popular science books about the biology of aging, criminal cases and forensic biology. He is a member of the editorial board of the '' Annals of Improbable Research'' (Cambridge, USA), guest editor for ''
Forensic Science International ''Forensic Science International'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of forensic science. The journal was established in 1972 and is published by Elsevier. The journal occasionally published supplements from 1999 onwards, but these supplements w ...
'' (
Forensic Entomology Forensic entomology is the scientific study of the colonization of a dead body by arthropods. This includes the study of insect types commonly associated with cadavers, their respective life cycles, their ecological presences in a given environme ...
Special Issue) and scientific advisor to the German
skeptic Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the pe ...
organization
GWUP The Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften (GWUP) (English: ''Society for the Scientific Investigation of Pseudosciences'') is a non-profit organisation promoting scientific skepticism, headquartered in Roßdorf, ...
, where he publishes skeptical articles on various topics, including his attempt to explain alleged signs of
vampirism A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
. In 2001, Benecke was editor of the
Forensic Science International ''Forensic Science International'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal of forensic science. The journal was established in 1972 and is published by Elsevier. The journal occasionally published supplements from 1999 onwards, but these supplements w ...
special issue on forensic entomology. In 2004, he was the guest editor of ''
Anil Aggrawal's Internet Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology ''Anil Aggrawal's Internet Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology'' is an online scientific journal covering forensic medicine and toxicology and allied subjects such as criminology, police science, and deviant behavior. It is one of the most ...
'' for the
Forensic Entomology Forensic entomology is the scientific study of the colonization of a dead body by arthropods. This includes the study of insect types commonly associated with cadavers, their respective life cycles, their ecological presences in a given environme ...
Special Issue).


Other ventures

In 2011, Benecke featured as a vocalist on
Sara Noxx Sara Noxx is a German musician and member of the alternative music scene. She is also a member of the band Essexx, who in 1997 were the winners of the ''Zillo'' band contest. Career Noxx's debut solo release was the 1997 mini-album ''Societ ...
's cover of
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock music, rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its care ...
' song "
Where the Wild Roses Grow "Where the Wild Roses Grow" is a murder ballad by Australian rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and pop singer Kylie Minogue. It is the fifth song and lead single from the band's ninth studio album, ''Murder Ballads'' (1996), released on ...
". In 2020, together with Bianca Stücker, he published a
Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...
tribute cover album. Using the pseudonym "Belcanto Bene", Benecke was a member of the German punk band ''Die Blonden Burschen'' between 1989 and 2000. In 2010, Benecke was candidate for the office of prime minister for Germany's largest state
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
for the satirical political party
Die PARTEI (''Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative''), or Die PARTEI (''The PARTY''), is a German political party. It was founded in 2004 by the editors of the German satirical magazin ...
. Since 2010, he is Chairman of Die PARTEI in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.


Personal life

Benecke was born in
Rosenheim Rosenheim is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is an independent city located in the centre of the district of Rosenheim (Upper Bavaria), and is also the seat of its administration. It is located on the west bank of the Inn at the confluence of the ...
,
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
. After receiving a Dr. rer. medic. at
Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
University in 1997,Print of the Ph.D certificate in: Lachende Wissenschaft. Aus den Geheimarchiven des Spaß-Nobelpreises'', Lübbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2005. (German)]'' he worked in the Chief Medical Examiner's Office in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, New York, from 1997 to 1999. , he works internationally on forensic cases as a freelance
expert witness An expert witness, particularly in common law countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States, is a person whose opinion by virtue of education, training, certification, skills or experience, is accepted by the judge as ...
. He also teaches at various police academies and acts as a visiting professor to universities in Germany, England, Vietnam, Colombia, and the Philippines. He was married to the criminal psychologist
Lydia Benecke Lydia Benecke (born in 1982 as ''E. C. Wawrzyniak'') is a German criminal psychologist and writer of popular science non-fiction. Life Benecke was born in Bytom, Poland and left for Germany at the age of 4 with her mother. She grew up in Bottr ...
.


Books

*''Der Traum vom ewigen Leben'',
Droemer Knaur Droemer Knaur is a publishing group based in Munich. The group consists of the book publishers Droemer, Knaur, the Pattloch Publisher and O.W. Barth. Droemer Knaur belongs to the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. Program Droemer Knaur Pu ...
Kindler Verlag, München 1998. (German) **''The Dream of Eternal Life'',
Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City, and affiliated with Columbia University. It is currently directed by Jennifer Crewe (2014–present) and publishes titles in the humanities and sciences, including the fiel ...
, New York 2002. *''노화와 생명의 수수께끼 마크 베네케 (Dr. Mark Benecke) 과학은 죽음보다 강하다?'' (Korean). *''Kriminalbiologie. Genetische Fingerabdrücke und Insekten auf Leichen'', Lübbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2001. (German) *''Mordmethoden. Ermittlungen der bekanntesten Kriminalbiologen der Welt'', Lübbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2002. (German) **''Mordmethoden'', Lübbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2004. (German) **''Moordmethoden'', Bruna Uitgevers, A.W.,Boek 2004. (Dutch) *''Šiurpių nusikaltimų pėdsakais''. (Lithuanian) *''Murderous Methods'', Preface by Michael Baden. Columbia University Press, New York 2005. ** ''살인 본능 / 법의곤충학자가 들려주는 살인자 추적기'', 마르크 베네케 지음 , 김희상 번역 , 알마. (Korean Version of "Mordmethoden") *''Lachende Wissenschaft. Aus den Geheimarchiven des Spaß-Nobelpreises'', Lübbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2005. (German) **"ПРИКОЛЬНАЯ НАУКА 1.ИЗ ТАЙНЫХ АРХИВОВ ШНОБЕЛЕВСКОЙ ПРЕМИИ", Moscow, книжный клуб 36.6, 2011, (Russian) *''怎麽有人研究這個? 法醫昆蟲學家的搞笑諾貝爾報告 / 怎么有人研究这个? 法医昆虫学家的搞笑诺贝尔报告''. Taiwan: 馬克∙班内可, VR: 马克∙班内可 (Chinese) *''Dem Täter auf der Spur. So arbeitet die moderne Kriminalbiologie'', Lübbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2006. (German) ** ''모든 범죄는 흔적을 남긴다 / 법의곤충학자가 들려주는 과학수사 이야기'', 원서명 (Dem Ta). (Korean Version of "Dem Täter auf der Spur") * ''Memento Mori'', Edition Roter Drache, Rudolstadt 2012. *''Mordspuren. Neue spektakuläre Kriminalfälle – erzählt vom bekanntesten Kriminalbiologen der Welt'', Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 2007 (German) ** ''연쇄 살인범의 고백 / 법의학자가 들려주는 살인 조서 이야기'', 마르크 베네케 지음 , 송소민 번역 , 알마. (Korean Version of "Mordspuren") *''Medical Detectives'' (Preface), vgs Verlagsgesellschaft, Köln 2005. (German) *''Vampires among us'', Sequenz Medien Produktion, Fuchstal-Welden 2006. **''Vampire unter uns!'' (mit E. Wawrzyniak, N. Palanetskaya & K. Sonntag), Edition Roter Drache, Rudolstadt, 2009. **''Vampyres among us!: Volume III – A scientific study into vampyre identity groups and subcultures'' (with Ines Fischer), Edition Roter Drache, Rudolstadt, 2015. *''Wo bleibt die Maus?'', Sauerländer, Oberentfelden 2008. (German) * ''Wo bleibt die Maus?'' Buchvolk-Verlag, Zwickau 2016. **''Hvor blev musen af? En historie om livets kredsløb'', Klematis Forlag. (Danish, Oversætter: Mette Jørgensen, Illustrationer: Lisa Fuss) * ''Ölümün İzleri'', Kırmızı Kedi. (Turkish) * Cinayet Yöntemleri, Kırmızı Kedi. (Turkish) *''Warum man Spaghetti nicht durch zwei teilen kann'', Luebbe, Bergisch Gladbach 2009. **"ПРИКОЛЬНАЯ НАУКА 2.ИЗ ТАЙНЫХ АРХИВОВ ШНОБЕЛЕВСКОЙ ПРЕМИИ", Moscow, книжный клуб 36.6, 2011. (Russian) * ''Das knallt dem Frosch die Locken weg: Experimente für kleine und große Forscher'', Oetinger, Hamburg 2012. *''Mein Leben nach dem Tod: Wie alles anfing'' (Biography), Luebbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2019. *''Viren für Anfänger'' (Corona Virus), Luebbe, Bergisch-Gladbach 2020. *''Kat Menschiks und des Diplom-Biologen Doctor Rerum Medicinalium Mark Beneckes Illustrirtes Thierleben'' (Animals / Natural History), Galiani, Berlin 2021.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Benecke, Mark 1970 births People from Rosenheim Living people 21st-century German biologists German forensic scientists German skeptics University of Cologne alumni