Franz Joseph Land by Christer Brunström, AIJP

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Franz Joseph Land by Christer Brunström, AIJP Cinderella Time: Franz Joseph Land By Christer Brunström, AIJP The Arctic and Antarctic regions have always attracted scientists and explorers. Getting to these distant lands used to be extremely difficult and once there the inclement climate provided further difficulties. Numerous explorers have attempted to be the very first ones to reach the North and South Poles. Some even lost their lives when they succumbed to the cold weather. One of the lesser known expeditions to the Arctic area started in 1872. Sailing on the schooner Admiral Tegetthoff, the expedition had been privately financed by interested people in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The idea was prob- ably to discover a northern sea passage to Asia. The schooner had been built in Bremerhaven, Germany and it was launched in 1871. It was a sailing ship but the schooner had also been equipped with a steam engine. The crew comprised some 20 seamen with Karl Weyprecht as the captain. Eight sledge dogs also boarded the ship. The leader of the expedition was Julius Payer. The voyage to the Arctic started in 1872. Once in the Arctic Ocean it became pretty clear that the schooner was far from suitable for the icy conditions. The Admiral Tegetthoff got stuck in the pack ice and the cur- rents carried it in a north-easterly direction. On 30 August 1873 the ship stranded on an unknown island. Payer and Weyprecht soon realized that they would have to spend the winter on the island. The expedition had reached an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean. It was given the name of Franz Joseph Land in honour of the Austro- Hungarian emperor. The Austrian Postal Office marked the centenary of the discovery of the archipelago with a commemorative stamp issued on 30 August 1973. Issue 44 - August 1, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net 1 If you enjoy this article, and are not already a subscriber, for $12 a year you can enjoy 60+ pages a month. To subscribe, email [email protected] The design features the schooner wrecked on the cliffs of one of the islands. The following year Julius Payer accompanied by a few men explored the northern part of Franz Joseph Land. The archipelago comprises some 60 islands. There are numerous high mountains with the highest peak reach- ing 5,180 feet. Access to the islands is very difficult as the coastlines are marked by rocks and cliffs. Glaciers cover large parts of the islands. As the expedition was not backed by the government the islands could not be claimed for the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Since 1926 they are part of Russia. In 1874 the expedition leaders realized that it would be impossible to spend another winter on Franz Joseph Land for lack of supplies and it was decided to start walking on the pack ice towards the south. After a heroic three-month trek the exhausted men were finally discovered by Russian fishermen. Via Norway and Germany they were finally able to return to Austria. In Vienna people greeted them as heroes. Numerous Austrians wanted to celebrate the exploits of Weyprecht and Payer. Fairly soon a set of four commemorative labels inscribed FRANZ JOSEPH LAND went on sale. Two of the labels depict the Emperor. One has a de- nomination of 25 Silb. Kr. and the other one has the rather cryptic inscription “Er.M.d.N.P.E. 1874” which is short for “Erinnerungsmarke der Nor- dpolexpedition 1874” (or commemorative stamp of the 1874 North Pole expedition in English). The two remaining stamps were triangular in size and reminiscent of the classic Cape of Good Issue 44 - August 1, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net 2 Hope triangulars. The yellow stamp includes the words “Cap Wien” and the green one “Cap Pest”. Obviously the pro- moter of the set wanted to pay homage both to Austria and Hungary. The four stamps were in no way an official issue. They were produced by Vienna stamp dealer Sigismund Friedl who obviously wanted to profit from the return of the fa- mous Arctic explorers. Today the four stamps are far from common. Recently I was able to acquire an additional 1874 label honouring the return of Weyprecht and Payer. It was produced by the Grillparzer Verein, a patriotic society founded by Ludwig Germonik in 1874. Possibly other varieties exist of this rather scarce commemorative label. Julius Payer claimed that the expedition had discovered a hitherto unknown archipelago in the Arctic Ocean but not everyone believed him which of course caused him a lot of sadness. However, at a later stage his discovery was acknowledged officially and he was invited to join the ranks of Austrian nobility. That is why dictionaries today give his name as Julius von Payer. Issue 44 - August 1, 2014 - StampNewsOnline.net 3 If you enjoy this article, and are not already a subscriber, for $12 a year you can enjoy 60+ pages a month. To subscribe, email [email protected].
Recommended publications
  • Russian High Arctic
    RUSSIAN HIGH ARCTIC Rarely visited today yet significant in the history of polar exploration, Franz Josef Land is worthy of its legendary reputation. This extraordinary expedition to Franz Josef Land is as unique and authentic as the place itself. Starting in Longyearbyen in the Norwegian territory of Svalbard, we cross the icy, wildlife-rich Barents Sea to the Russian High Arctic. In Franz Josef Land we discover unparalleled landscapes, wildlife, and history in one of the wildest and most remote corners of the Arctic. The archipelago, part of the Russian Arctic National Park since 2012, is a nature sanctuary. Polar bears and other like Bell Island, Cape Flora, and Cape Tegetthoff we have the quintessential High Arctic wildlife--such as walruses and some opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Fridtjof Nansen, Frederick rare whale species--can be spotted anytime, anywhere in and George Jackson, Julius von Payer, and other polar explorers. At around Franz Josef Land. Scree slopes and cliffs around the Tikhaya Bukhta we find the ruins of a Soviet-era research facility islands host enormous nesting colonies of migratory seabirds that was also a major base for polar expeditions. Across the such as guillemots, dovekies, and ivory gulls. We'll take archipelago there are monuments, memorials, crosses, and the advantage of the 24-hour daylight to exploit every opportunity remains of makeshift dwellings, all testimony to incredible for wildlife viewing. historical events. In Franz Josef Land we encounter a stark and enigmatic RATES INCLUDE: landscape steeped in the drama and heroism of early polar Group transfer to the ship on day of embarkation; exploration.
    [Show full text]
  • Explorateur Et Peintre De L'arctique
    Le Nord et la fascination du sublime. Julius Payer (1841-1915), explorateur et peintre de l’Arctique Mathilde Roussat Université de Paris X-Nanterre (France) et Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Allemagne) Résumé – Julius Payer (1841-1915) compte parmi les grandes figures de l’exploration polaire. Mais il fut aussi, dans les années 1880-1890, un peintre reconnu pour des œuvres inspirées par son expérience du Grand Nord. Abandonnant l’approche scientifique, Payer tenta de faire de l’Arctique un nouveau sujet pour l’art. L’analyse de ses réalisations permet d’en faire ressortir l’allégeance aux pratiques académiques et le tribut payé à un sublime à la fois terrible et magnifique. L’aveu d’échec formulé par l’artiste à la fin du siècle articule enfin de manière décisive nordicité et sublimité en établissant le pôle comme irreprésentable et en suggérant sa dimension métaphysique. L’hostilité des contrées polaires a longtemps fait envisager ces territoires sous l’angle du seul défi technique et scientifique. Lieu de mise à l’épreuve des explorateurs, quand ce n’est pas de leur disparition tragique, l’Arctique reste jusqu’au début du XXe siècle une terre pratiquement inconnue dont la connaissance et la maîtrise se dérobent malgré les assauts répétés d’expéditions initiées par les différentes nations occidentales. Si l’exploration a été, pendant un temps, le fait de commerçants en quête de nouveaux territoires de pêche ou de nouvelles voies maritimes, les bénéfices de ces initiatives sont en effet devenus très vite bien trop hasardeux en regard des risques encourus. À partir du XIXe siècle, ce sont donc les États européens et nord-américains qui reprennent le flambeau d’investigations animées par l’espoir patriotique de voir le succès d’une expédition affirmer la supériorité technique de la nation commanditaire.
    [Show full text]
  • AWI Polar FB 86.1 Umbruch.Indd
    Polarforschung 86 (1), 72–81, 2016 Buchbesprechungen James K. Barnett & David Nicandri (eds.): Arctic neuesten Techniken der Längengradbestimmung zu eigen Ambitions. Captain Cook and the Northwest Passage. gemacht hatte. Durch seine Begegnungen mit Einheimischen University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, 2015, in der Südsee hatte er zudem ein großes ethnologisches Inter- 1-429 S. (ISBN 978-0-295-99399-7) US $ 54,95. esse an bislang unbekannten Völkern entwickelt. So brachte er von seiner Reise neben für damalige Verhältnisse außerordent- Das rund 2 kg schwere in Hochglanz und Querformat ge- lich exakten Landkarten, Manuskripten und Journalen auch druckte Werk über James Cooks dritte und letzte Expedition umfangreiche ethnografische Sammlungen zurück, die teil- betont in sinnfälliger Weise die gewichtige Bedeutung dieser weise auf sehr verschlungenen Wegen in Museen und private Reise, die ihn in den Jahren 1776 bis 1779 auf der Suche nach Sammlungen gelangten und von denen sich auch einige Stücke der Nordwestpassage erst in den Nordpazifik und dann durch in der Sammlung der Universität in Göttingen, im Museum die Beringstraße in den Arktischen Ozean führte und von der Fünf Kontinente in München oder im Völkerkundemuseum in er nicht mehr lebend nach Hause zurückkehrte. Herrnhut befinden. Im Zeitalter der Aufklärung galt Cooks erste Expedition George Vancouver setzte Cooks Erforschung der Nordwest- (1768-1771) nicht nur der Beobachtung des Venustransits am küste Nordamerikas in den Jahren 1792-1794 fort, als der 3. Juni 1769 auf Tahiti, die zusammen mit Beobachtungen lukrative Pelzhandel mit dem Norden schon internationale anderer Expeditionen der Bestimmung des Abstands Erde- Ausmaße angenommen hatte. In der Folge von kommer- Sonne, d.h.
    [Show full text]
  • Jesuit High School Robotics Sacramento, California
    “THE 13TH HOUR” TECHNICAL REPORT PREPARED BY SITE 3 ENGINEERING Jesuit High School Robotics Sacramento, California Mentors: Jerry Glasser Head of Robotics JohnJay Peli Isaacs Mentor John Pelochino Mentor Gerry Maginnity Mentor Team Members: NAME YEAR POSITION Patrick Dills (Junior) Team Co Captain/CAD Eric Guess (Sophomore) Team Co Captain/Computers Jason Isaacs (Sophomore) Chief Electrician Steven Kesich (Senior) Chief of Engineering Michael Freeman (Senior) Chief of Construction Brendan O’Connell (Junior) Chief of Design James McMonagle (Junior) Public Relations Steven Larsen (Freshman) Design Intern Uriah Mitchell (Freshman) Photography Intern E.J. Borg (Freshman) CAD Intern/Historian Thomas Jacobi (Sophomore) Staff Engineer Chris McMonagle (Sophomore) Staff Engineer Andrew Petel (Freshman) Staff Engineer John Taseff (Freshman) Staff Engineer Joseph Maginnity (Freshman) Staff Engineer Site 3 Engineering MATE Technical Report TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Abstract.............................................................................................................................. 2 II. Pictures of ROV.................................................................................................................. 3 III. Team Organization.............................................................................................................. 4 IV. Design Rationale................................................................................................................. 4 V. Challenges..........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Centenary of the Scott Expedition to Antarctica and of the United Kingdom’S Enduring Scientific Legacy and Ongoing Presence There”
    Debate on 18 October: Scott Expedition to Antarctica and Scientific Legacy This Library Note provides background reading for the debate to be held on Thursday, 18 October: “the centenary of the Scott Expedition to Antarctica and of the United Kingdom’s enduring scientific legacy and ongoing presence there” The Note provides information on Antarctica’s geography and environment; provides a history of its exploration; outlines the international agreements that govern the territory; and summarises international scientific cooperation and the UK’s continuing role and presence. Ian Cruse 15 October 2012 LLN 2012/034 House of Lords Library Notes are compiled for the benefit of Members of the House of Lords and their personal staff, to provide impartial, politically balanced briefing on subjects likely to be of interest to Members of the Lords. Authors are available to discuss the contents of the Notes with the Members and their staff but cannot advise members of the general public. Any comments on Library Notes should be sent to the Head of Research Services, House of Lords Library, London SW1A 0PW or emailed to [email protected]. Table of Contents 1.1 Geophysics of Antarctica ....................................................................................... 1 1.2 Environmental Concerns about the Antarctic ......................................................... 2 2.1 Britain’s Early Interest in the Antarctic .................................................................... 4 2.2 Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration .......................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • On First Looking Into Loewe's Papers
    On first looking into Loewe’s papers Michael Piggott In an obituary for the June 1974 issue of The University Gazette, ‘D.J.’ noted that Fritz Loewe ‘founded this University’s department of Meteor- ology’ and for 25 years he ‘helped train many present well-known Australian meteorologists, conducted research into both glaciology and meteorology (he was a co-discoverer of the Southern Tropical Jet Stream), and achieved international recog- nition for the department.’1 What follows aims to profile one of our most important collections and the man behind that obituary’s masterly summary. Who was Loewe; what is in his collection; why is it significant; and what is its contem- porary relevance? Finally, I want to share some reflections, if not a Keatsean sonnet, prompted by looking systematically into the 70 or so boxes of the Loewe collection in the University of Melbourne Archives. Life If the name Fritz Loewe2 is recognised at all (and not confused with the composer of Broadway fame), most likely it would be because of Greenland. In particular, for his part in a famous and tragic expedition crossing western Greenland in 1930– 1931, and to a lesser degree for his before and after involvements there, 18 University of Melbourne Collections, Issue 3, December 2008 Johannes Georgi, Photograph of Ernst Sorge and Fritz Loewe in their ice cave at Eismitte station in Greenland, Christmas 1930, photographic print, 16.7 x 11.0 cm. UMA 88/160 (oversized items), Loewe Collection, University of Melbourne Archives. In Greenland journey (p. 195; see note 4), Sorge, a Berlin secondary school teacher and Eismitte’s glaciologist, describes this minus 10°C scene as follows: ‘Christmas was celebrated in simple fashion but with sincere feeling.
    [Show full text]
  • Crustacean Collection Poster
    The Crustacean Collection of the Museum of Natural History in Vienna, Austria Peter C. Dworschak & Verena Stagl, Dritte Zoologische Abteilung, Naturhistorisches Museum, Burgring 7, A-1014 Wien, Austria Abstract The collection of Crustacea of the Natural History Museum in The history of the invertebrate collection is much older than Vienna (NHMW) dates back to the middle of the 18th century. that of the Naturhistorische Museum. The first natural history The oldest specimens documented were acquired in 1806. In the collection was founded by Emperor Francis I (Franz Stephan 19th century, the collection increased rapidely with material obtai- von Lothringen), who reigned from 1745 to 1765. In 1748 he ned from collectors - e.g., J. Natterer, Brazil; G. Frauenfeld, Red purchased the collection of the famous scientist Jean de Sea; T. Kotschy, Gulf of Persia; I. Pfeiffer, Indonesia - , during Baillou in Florence. The collection contained more than 30.000 various expeditions - e.g. the circumnaviagation of the 'Novara' objects like minerals and fossils, snail shells, mussels, corals 1857-1859, the Austrian-Hungarian Northpole-Expedition (1872- and also crustaceans. The collections grew rapidly especially 1874), the deep-sea expeditions of the 'Pola' to the Eastern in the 19th century through purchases, exchanges, collection Mediterranean (1890-1893) and the Red Sea (1895-1898) - in activity of the staff members and gifts from scientifically incli- exchange with other museums, institutes or scientists - e.g. the Curators of the Crustacean collection ned travellers and from persons on duty in foreign countries. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris; the British Museum, Expeditions were organised, ordered by the Emperor as well London; P.
    [Show full text]
  • Giles Land—A Mystery for S.A. Andrée and Other Early Arctic Explorers Björn Lantz
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Giles Land—a mystery for S.A. Andrée and other early Arctic explorers Björn Lantz Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden Abstract Keywords Kvitøya; Andrée expedition; After the initial discovery of Giles Land (Kvitøya, Svalbard) by Cornelis Giles Arctic exploration; Svalbard; maps in 1707, it was most likely never seen by anyone again until 1876. During this lengthy period, Giles Land evolved into an enigma as various explorers Correspondence and cartographers came to very different conclusions about its probable loca- Björn Lantz, Technology Management tion, character or even existence. In 1897, when the engineer Salomon August and Economics, Chalmers University of Andrée tried to return over the ice after his failed attempt to reach the North Technology, 412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden. Pole in a balloon, he passed through an area approximately 160 km north of E-mail: [email protected] Kvitøya where Giles Land was indicated on his map. Andrée searched for it, but Supplementary material there was no land in sight. The main reason why Giles Land was erroneously To access the supplementary material, positioned too far north was a conjecture by a German cartographer August please visit the article landing page. Petermann in 1872. While there was some distrust of Petermann’s conjecture at the time, many also believed it. The erroneous understanding that Giles Land was located far north of Kvitøya was only finally dismissed in the 1930s. This article examines how this misunderstanding regarding the identity and location of Giles Land could arise and become entrenched. Introduction impossible to reach for almost 170 years after its initial discovery.
    [Show full text]
  • Shipwreck at Cape Flora: the Expeditions of Benjamin Leigh Smith, England’S Forgotten Arctic Explorer
    University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository University of Calgary Press University of Calgary Press Open Access Books 2013 Shipwreck at Cape Flora: The Expeditions of Benjamin Leigh Smith, England’s Forgotten Arctic Explorer Capelotti, P. J. University of Calgary Press Capelotti, P.J. "Shipwreck at Cape Flora: The Expeditions of Benjamin Leigh Smith, England’s Forgotten Arctic Explorer". Northern Lights Series No. 16. University of Calgary Press, Calgary, Alberta, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/49458 book http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 3.0 Unported Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca University of Calgary Press www.uofcpress.com SHIPWRECK AT CAPE FLORA: THE EXPEDITIONS OF BENJAMIN LEIGH SMITH, ENGLAND’S FORGOTTEN ARCTIC EXPLORER P.J. Capelotti ISBN 978-1-55238-712-2 THIS BOOK IS AN OPEN ACCESS E-BOOK. It is an electronic version of a book that can be purchased in physical form through any bookseller or on-line retailer, or from our distributors. Please support this open access publication by requesting that your university purchase a print copy of this book, or by purchasing a copy yourself. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] Cover Art: The artwork on the cover of this book is not open access and falls under traditional copyright provisions; it cannot be reproduced in any way without written permission of the artists and their agents. The cover can be displayed as a complete cover image for the purposes of publicizing this work, but the artwork cannot be extracted from the context of the cover of this specific work without breaching the artist’s copyright.
    [Show full text]
  • NSF 05-39, Arctic Research in the United States, Volume 19, Spring
    This document has been archived. On the Creation of Environmental Data Sets for the Arctic Region When Karl Weyprecht proposed better coordi- ronmental data sets can be found in almost every nation of research in 1874, leading to a series of NOAA line office, but it is the NOAA National coordinated synoptic observations in the Arctic, Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information little did he think that his ideas would produce Service Data Centers that share a mission of data scientific data that remains of intense interest to management. The NOAA National Data Centers’ This article was prepared researchers 130 years later. And still less would he commitment to long-term data management pro- by Florence Fetterer, NOAA Liaison, National have imagined that his proposals, and the result- vides institutional support for producing exemplary Snow and Ice Data ing International Polar Year of 1882–1883, would environmental data sets. Each center has a partic- Center/World Data Center inform goals for creating and managing scientific ular research focus and expertise that adds value for Glaciology, Boulder, data in the 21st century. Because of advances in to its data management results. After a brief profile Colorado, and Igor observation and data technologies, the questions of these centers, we will discuss what general Smolyar, of NOAA’s that Weyprecht addressed have only increased in characteristics make certain data sets especially Ocean Climate significance. What constitutes useful environmen- valuable and what elements come into play during Laboratory, National Oceanographic Data tal data? How are data both a product of research the production of these data sets, highlighting Center, Silver Spring, and a catalyst for new research? How should data enough of them here to provide a sense of the Maryland.
    [Show full text]
  • CONTENIDOS Celebrarán Centenario Del Natalicio De Frida Kahlo En
    CONTENIDOS Celebrarán centenario del natalicio de Frida Kahlo en España 3 "voz de mujer 2007" "voces que luchan" 4 En DVD, Sabines y su último testimonio 5 Elija el sexo de sus hijos 6 Los oídos, otras víctimas del estrés 7 Doulas: al servicio de la embarazada 9 Desvelados y obesos 12 Nuevas especies en la Antártida 14 Crean estudiantes nuevos productos con planta medicinal 15 Crean colombianos chaleco que da reporte médico 17 En la era del stent, los cardiólogos dan una nueva mirada al bypass 18 Reduce la circuncisión 50% riesgo de contraer sida 19 Rosetta, el "cazador de cometas", a 250 km de Marte 20 CARTELERA DE MARZO DE 2007 21 CINE-DEBATE SOBRE GENERO Y VIOLENCIA 25 Hallados restos romanos de un templo gótico en la la iglesia de Santa Maria de Mataró 26 Simulan el ambiente de la montaña en un laboratorio 27 Dan el alta a la beba más prematura 28 Científicos enamorados 29 Christophe Bruno y Davide Grassi ganan los premios de arte electrónico de ARCO 30 El extraño caso de las bibliotecas 31 Profesionalización, el camino del negocio 32 “Donar dinero es una manera atávica de cuidar la especie” 33 Palomo abre el diálogo con los escritores 36 Hallan 15 efectos negativos por la tv 37 Alicia Alonso, con proyectos para 200 años 38 Pasará el asteroide Apophis cerca de la Tierra 39 Estudian obtención de molécula contra cáncer de tabaco transgénico 41 Gates y Harper anuncian centro canadiense para vacuna contra el sida 42 Elabora IPN alimento para producir camarón bajo en colesterol 44 Diminuyen las emociones negativas del duelo después de
    [Show full text]
  • Information to Users
    INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. ProQuest Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 UMT UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE HOME ONLY LONG ENOUGH: ARCTIC EXPLORER ROBERT E. PEARY, AMERICAN SCIENCE, NATIONALISM, AND PHILANTHROPY, 1886-1908 A Dissertation SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By KELLY L. LANKFORD Norman, Oklahoma 2003 UMI Number: 3082960 UMI UMI Microform 3082960 Copyright 2003 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Titie 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 c Copyright by KELLY LARA LANKFORD 2003 All Rights Reserved.
    [Show full text]