The history of Germany’s permanent presence in Antarctica began in 1976 with the opening of the GDR base laboratory in the Schirmacher Oasis.
This station was officially named after naturalist Georg Forster in 1987 and did some pioneering work in atmospheric research. One of the scientific milestones of the Forster Station was the discovery and documentation of the Antarctic ozone hole in the 1980s.
Almost at the same time, the Federal Republic of Germany acceded to the Antarctic Treaty in 1979 and established the Georg von Neumayer Station I on the Ekström Ice Shelf in 1981. To coordinate these activities, the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) was founded in Bremerhaven in 1980, which is now one of the world’s leading polar research centres.
In 1982, the research icebreaker Polarstern entered service and has since served as the backbone of German logistics and science.
After German reunification in 1990, the research capacities of East and West were successfully merged under the leadership of the AWI. The Georg Forster Station was decommissioned as planned in 1993 and the site was completely cleared in accordance with the Environmental Protection Protocol.
As the first Neumayer stations sank into the ice over the years due to snow load, a completely new architectural concept was developed. The Neumayer Station III, inaugurated in 2009, stands on hydraulic stilts that are regularly raised to escape the rising ice level.
In addition to this main base, Germany operates the Kohnen Station on the inland ice in summer for specialised ice core drilling. These drillings enable scientists to precisely reconstruct the climate of the last hundreds of thousands of years.
Another important location is the Dallmann Laboratory Station, which is operated in cooperation with Argentina on the Potter Peninsula.
Geoscientific research is being driven forward primarily by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) at locations such as the Gondwana Station.
In 2025, research will focus in particular on the stability of the large ice shelves in the Weddell Sea.
German biologists are also conducting intensive research into the effects of ocean warming on the food web, from tiny krill to whale populations.
Automated underwater robots and satellite data now help researchers monitor changes even during the harsh Antarctic winter.
Germany is strongly committed to the designation of marine protected areas within the framework of the Antarctic Treaty System.
Current preparations in 2025 are focused on the construction of the Polarstern II, which will operate in the polar regions in an even more environmentally friendly manner in the future.
Overall, ongoing German research provides valuable insights that are essential for understanding the global climate system and protecting our planet.