The Danmark Expedition 1906–1908

The “Danmark” vessel and former accommodation of the Danmark-Expedition destroyed by ice. Photograph by Achton Friis, 1906–1908.

The “Danmark” vessel and former accommodation of the Danmark-Expedition destroyed by ice. Photograph by Achton Friis, 1906–1908.

Originally published in Achton Friis, Im Grönlandeis mit Mylius-Erichsen: Die Danmark-Expedition 1906–1908 (Leipzig: Otto Spamer, 1910: 351).

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The goal of the Danish Danmark Expedition led by Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen (1872–1907) was to map a then-unknown section of the coast of northeast Greenland. The expedition suffered from the death of its leader Mylius-Erichsen, who, along with the Greenlander Jörgen Brönlund (1877–1907) and the cartographer Niels Peter Hög-Hagen (1877–1907), never returned from their final sled journey.

The diaries provide an insight into Wegener’s day-to-day scientific work, the setting up and reading of the instruments, minor repairs, and particularly his aerological work with kites and weather balloons, which were being used for the first time in polar research.

Overview map of Greenland with transition routes. Map by Fritz Loewe, n.d.

Overview map of Greenland with transition routes. Map by Fritz Loewe, n.d.

In Johannes Georgi, Im Eis vergraben: Erlebnisse auf Station „Eismitte“ der letzten Grönlandexpedition Alfred Wegeners (Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1933: Attachement).

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This first polar expedition also served as an important learning experience for Wegener and provides insight into the social challenges with which he was confronted as a novice. He reflects both on his own position and on the strengths and weaknesses of other team members more than he does on subsequent expeditions. Wegener, who was inexperienced and still learning Danish, had yet to earn recognition as a scientist, and therefore hoped to gather important technical and logistical experiences for future expeditions. In order to do this, it was necessary to travel to the icy north and prove his ability to lead dog sleds across long distances.

Questions and goals of a future South Polar expedition continuously preoccupied Alfred Wegener during his first expedition to Greenland from 1906 to 1908. The passage “Ideen über die Ziele der Südpolarforschung” (Ideas about the Aims of South Polar Research) can be found in the final pages of his diary, which were written between 9 May 1908 and 6 August 1908. This conceptual sketch offers both a summary and a scientific reflection on the climatologic implications of ice sheets. At this point, apparently, he envisioned the exploration of Antarctica as the main goal for his future career.

View selected pages from Wegener’s diaries [Deutsches Museum Archiv, NL 001] and their transcripts. For the complete original click here.

Essay: 2013 Christian Kehrt
Scanned diary: Used by permission of the Archives of the Deutsches Museum
Diary translation: 2013 Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society
This refers only to the text and does not include any image rights. Please click on an image to view its individual rights status.

Source: Alfred Wegener, Tagebücher, June 1906–August 1908. Deutsches Museum Archiv, NL 001/005.

[Das Tagebuch beginnt am 24. Juni 1906]

[111] 5. Sept. [1906] Heute habe ich 2 Pfähle eingegraben, den einen für den Regenmesser, den anderen hauptsächlich für das Taschenanemometer [Windmesser]. Den Regenmesser habe ich schon angeschraubt. Gestern ist ja der erste Schnee gefallen, und wer weiß, ob das Instru-

[The diary begins 24 June 1906]

[111] 5 Sept. [1906] Today I erected two posts, one for the rain gauge, the other mainly for the pocket anemometer [wind gauge]. I have already attached the rain gauge. Yesterday saw the first snowfall, and who knows whether the instru-