Guide to the Karl Weyprecht Collection, 1892, 1932, 2006 SPEC.PA.56.0261 Finding aid prepared by Sierra Sales Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections

1858 Neil Avenue Columbus, OH, 43210

2026 May This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2026-06-01T11:44-0400 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Karl Weyprecht Collection SPEC.PA.56.0261 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 0.22 Cubic feet 1892, 1932, 2006 Karl Weyprecht (1838-1881) was an Austro-Hungarian explorer who explored the Arctic region and advocated for international cooperation with scientific polar exploration. Weyprecht was also credited with organizing the First International Polar Year (1882-1883) despite passing away before he could see his efforts come to fruition. The Karl Weyprecht Collection consists of materials about Karl Weyprecht, his discovery and exploration of Franz Josef Land, and his contributions to Arctic exploration. The materials are dated 1892, 1932, and 2006. (2) oversize folders; (1) letter file folder English Arrangement of Materials

Materials are arranged in chronological order by the original item date.

Acquisitions Information

Accession No. PA.2006.0006: Ann May, 2006 June

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Karl Weyprecht Collection, SPEC.PA.56.0261, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University

Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the University Archives reading room only. Contact the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program at polararchives@osu.edu for more information.

Use of Materials

Materials in this collection may be protected by copyright, and are made available for research and educational purposes. In general, the OSU Libraries do not own the copyright for materials from our collections and cannot grant copyright permissions for these materials. The user is responsible for making a final determination of copyright status. If copyright protection applies, permission must be obtained from the copyright holder to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exceptions to the law. Works in the public domain are not protected by copyright and do not require permission to use.

Processing Information

Processed by: Sierra Sales, 2026 May; Finding aid written by: Sierra Sales, 2026 May

Biographical Note

Karl Weyprecht (1838-1881) was an Austro-Hungarian explorer who explored the Arctic region and advocated for international cooperation with scientific polar exploration. Weyprecht was also credited with organizing the First International Polar Year (1882-1883) despite passing away before he could see his efforts come to fruition. Weyprecht and Julius von Payer, another Austro-Hungarian explorer, led the 1872-1874 Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition. On this expedition, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean was discovered and named Franz Josef Land. Weyprecht received the 1875 Royal Geographical Society’s Founder’s Medal. In September 1875, Weyprecht addressed the 48th Meeting of German Scientists and Physicians in Austria and discussed the principles of Arctic research and suggested that fixed Arctic observation stations be established. He advocated for the creation of Arctic station networks that took regular measurements of weather and ice conditions. In 1879, he presented those same ideas at the International Congress of Meteorologists.

Scope and Contents

The Karl Weyprecht Collection consists of materials about Karl Weyprecht, his discovery and exploration of Franz Josef Land, and his contributions to Arctic exploration. The materials are dated 1892, 1932, and 2006. This collection contains an etching of Karl Weyprecht and other explorers overlooking Franz Josef Land. It is not known who created the etching. This collection also contains a newspaper article titled “Out to Solve the Mystery of Aurora.” The article celebrates the beginning of the Second International Polar Year (1932-1933) and gives an overview of Karl Weyprecht’s contributions to Arctic exploration and the creation of the First International Polar Year (1882-1883). A photograph reproduction of Karl Weyprecht and his family is also included in this collection.

Osterreichisch-Ungarische Polarexpedition (1872-1874) Weyprecht, Karl, 1838-1881 Arctic regions--Discovery and exploration--19th century Black-and-white photographs Etchings (prints) Explorers--Arctic regions--19th century Franz Josef Land (Russia)--Discovery and exploration--Pictorial works--19th century International Polar Year, 1882-1883 Newspapers Polar regions--Research--International cooperation--20th century Karl Weyprecht and family photograph (1850s-1860s) reproduction Polar Small Accessions 2 2006 Etching of Franz Josef Land depicting Karl Weyprecht and others Polar Flat Items 1 1 1892 “Out To Solve the Mystery of Aurora” newspaper article Polar Flat Items 1 2 1932