Building polar research capacity
Established as a polar-research foundation on 15 July 1980, AWI’s first director was Gotthilf Hempel. Its early responsibilities supported a year-round Antarctic station and a research icebreaker within Germany’s international polar-research participation.
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Stations and ships
The Georg von Neumayer Station opened in 1981, followed by the research icebreaker Polarstern entering service in 1982. Stations and vessels enabled sustained observations of weather, oceans, ice and ecosystems.
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Marine and coastal research
A 1986 merger with Bremerhaven’s marine-research institute expanded its scope and name. A Potsdam branch integrated former East German polar research in 1992; Helgoland and Sylt institutions added biological and coastal expertise in 1998.
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