200th birthday: Georg von Neumayer – from a message in a bottle to a research station

Georg von Neumayer was particularly fascinated by ocean currents. In the 19th century, they were a phenomenon that was still barely understood. By systematically setting out messages in bottles, he hoped to unravel their mystery. On the basis of thousands of replies, he was eventually able to draw up a current map – a milestone in oceanography.

This simple idea is a good example of how Georg von Neumayer continues to influence science to this day: in 2000, an international research group replicated the experiment. Since then, so-called Argo floats have been drifting across the world’s oceans, collecting and transmitting data on temperature, salinity and pressure as they drift. They are of great value, particularly in the face of climate change, for the development of new forecasting models.

A young researcher with a wanderlust

Georg von Neumayer was born in 1826, far from any coastline, in Kirchheimbolanden, Bavaria – now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. Although his passion for exploring the sea was not something he was born with, he was drawn to the wider world after completing his studies in Munich, where he studied not only engineering but also physics and astronomy.

He arrived in Australia as a sailor and helmsman, where people were evidently so impressed by the scientific knowledge of the German, who was just 32 years old at the time, that they entrusted him with the management of the geophysical observatory in Melbourne, a post he held for six years until 1864. At that time, the city in the south-west of the continent was experiencing a gold rush that temporarily made it one of the richest cities in the world.

From the German Hydrographic Office to the BSH

Back home, as a scientist who had by then gained recognition, he advocated for the establishment of a North German maritime observatory. This came about in 1868; although initially it was still a private initiative, following the founding of the German Empire it evolved into the German Maritime Observatory as a state institution. As there was scarcely a more suitable candidate to be found, Georg von Neumayer took over as director.

For almost 30 years, from its establishment in 1875 until his retirement in 1903, he held the post, shaping the Marine Observatory and turning it into an internationally recognised research institution. Georg von Neumayer died in 1909. The Marine Observatory continued to operate and became one of the most important precursors to the two modern institutions in the field: the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach am Main and the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) in Hamburg.

Pioneers of polar research

At the same time, Georg von Neumayer established himself as one of the leading pioneers of modern polar research. He played a key role in organising the First International Polar Year in 1882–1883. The German Gauss Expedition to the South Pole region from 1901 to 1903 was also made possible thanks to his commitment. To commemorate his achievements, the German research station in Antarctica, operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) named after Neumayer in Bremerhaven.

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