Research Institutions

This section represents the achival material of the AWI and of related institutions. Moreover, it contains archivalia of other research institutions adressing polar and maritime research. With approx. 333 running meters this section comprises the biggest part of the kept material and reflects the activities of  AdP's biggest record-creating agency. It contains the archivalia of the 1980 founded AWI including its management, its staff departments, it scientific and administrative departments as well as the archival documents of its research agencies in Bremerhaven, Potsdam and at Heligoland and at Sylt (FE 1). Moreover this section contains archivalia of the Biologische Anstalt Heligoland before and after the Second World War from 1892 to 1998 (FE 2) and the Institute of Maritime Research Bremerhaven from 1919 to 1886 (FE 3). Therefore, it refers to all scientific research institutions, which were incorporated into the AWI during the nineteen-eighties and nineteen-nineties of the last century and which have since then played an important role in the history of the institute. Additionally, the section points to scientific institutions, which were active in polar and maritime research and which submitted highly diverse archival material in different amount to the AGPR before and after its establishment. These include the Geodätische Institut der Universität Karlsruhe (FE 4), the Arktisk Institut Kopenhagen (FE 5), the Deutsche Hydrogaphische Institut (FE 6) and the Institut für Wissenschaftlichen Film (FE 7). Furthermore, the Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie (the former Institut für angewandte Kartographie) Frankfurt/Main adds to this section (FE 10).

Scientific Societies and Associations

This term refers to archivalia of more than 11 running meters from voluntary bodies in the German polar and maritime research. These are the archive group of the German archive for polar research, which was run in Kiel and Muenster from 1926 to 1959 (WV 1), the holding of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Polarforschung, which was established in 1959 (WV 2), the archival material of the German counterpart of the Scientific Committee on Antartic Research (SCAR) (WV 3) and und in a far lesser extend the archivalia of the Friends of the AWI, an association to support the institute, which was founded not until 2001 (WV 4).

Other Institutions Addressing Polar and Marine Research

This small section, which is still in the process of establishing, represents the archival material of institutions which not aimed primarily at the German polar and maritime research, but made an important contribution to this research field. It includes e. g. the holding of the Zentralstelle für Schiffs-und Maschinentechnik der Wasser- und Schifffahrtsdirektion Nord (AE 1), some archival material of the shipping company Martini (AE 2) and some archivalia of the Schacht & Westerich Company with regard to the construction of RV Polarstern (AE 3). Moreover, the AWI's spin off company "Training and Education Centre Hydography at AWI" (AWITECH) adds to this section. On the whole, it contains archival material of 5.4 running meters.

Personal Papers

This section comprise more than 73 personal papers of German polar and maritime scientists, which though partly fragmentary amount already to 80 running meters. It includes documents from scientists from early stages of German polar research, i. e.  the papers from Alfred Wegener (NL 2), from Johannes Georgi (NL 3) from Fritz Loewe (NL 4), from Hermann Junghenn (NL 7), from Bernhard Brockamp (NL 12) and from Carl Koldewey (NL 17). Furthermore, the section contains archive material from AWI directors like Gotthilf Hempel (NL 1) and from important emplyees of the institute as well as papers from scientific administrators and designers of polar technology.

Other Collections

This sections contains inter alia a small collection on the third German expedition to Antarctica from 1938 to 1939, headed by Alfred Ritscher (S 1),  and a stamp collection on polar research, which includes not only individual commemorative stamps but also 21 albums with stamps from different countries and with different motifs from the polar and maritime research (S 2). Further examples of the section's contents are the small collection of photos with single pictures and photo material related to different aspects of polar and maritime research, e. g. to the first and second German expedition to Greenland or to Wegener's expedition to this island (S 4), and a collection of 80 documentaries in different formats and on different media on expeditions of the German polar and maritime research, on the AWI's work, on the activities of other institutions in the state of Bremen which are engaged in this research field and on AWI's research platforms (S 5). Furthermore, the section comprises a small collection on the first German South Polar Expedition led by Erich von Drygalski from 1901 to 1903, which consists mainly of two records and  two Album with approx. 300 photos (S 8). Recently, the at least partially digitally available collections on contemporary witness interviews on polar and marine research (S 15) and on the MOSAiC expedition (S 16) have found their way into this area. The whole section amounts to 7 running meters.