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{{Short description|1872-74 Arctic expedition to find the North-East Passage}}
[[Image:Kara sea ZFJ.PNG|thumb|right|250px|Location of the Franz Josef Archipelago]]
The '''Austro-Hungarian North Pole expedition''' was an [[Arctic]] expedition to find the [[North-East Passage]] that ran from 1872 to 1874 under the leadership of [[Julius von Payer|Julius Payer]] and [[Karl Weyprecht]]. The expedition discovered and partially explored [[Franz Josef Land]].

== Background ==
The Austro-Hungarian North Pole expedition was largely an initiative of the geographer [[August Petermann]], who was a proponent of a navigable northern Arctic Sea. Petermann had previously been involved in the [[German North Polar Expedition|German North Pole expeditions]] of 1868&ndash;1870, which had failed to find navigable paths on the east coast of [[Greenland]]. Petermann then advocated for probing the area between [[Svalbard]] and [[Novaya Zemlya]], which he assumed would be less obstructed by ice due to the influence of the [[Gulf Stream]].{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=97}}
[[File:Spitsbergen 1872, by Austrian photographer Wilhelm Burger (1844-1920).jpg|thumb|Sailing boat ''Isbjörn'' anchored in front of a glacier in [[Spitsbergen]], 1872.]]
In 1871, a trial expedition took place. Weyprecht and Payer were put in charge. They chartered the Norwegian schooner ''Isbjørn'' and hired captain [[Johan Kjeldsen]] and a Norwegian crew in [[Tromsø (city)|Tromsø]].{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=98}} ''Isbjørn'' sailed to the east coast of Svalbard, in hopes of reaching [[Kvitøya|Gillis Land]]. They found heavy sea ice however and were not able to advance from the coast of [[Nordaustlandet]]. To salvage the otherwise disappointing expedition, Weyprecht and Payer first conducted some exploration of the islands to the south, before sailing eastwards. Here they did find open water and managed to push far into the [[Barents Sea]]. These observed favourable ice conditions justified sending the main expedition into the same direction the following year.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Capelotti |first=Peter Joseph |url=https://press.ucalgary.ca/books/9781552387054 |title=Shipwreck at Cape Flora: The Expeditions of Benjamin Leigh Smith |date=2013 |publisher=University of Calgary Press |isbn=978-1-55238-705-4 |pages=130–134}} {{oa}}</ref>

After being dissatisfied with the Norwegians on the reconnaissance voyage with ''Isbjørn'', Weyprecht decided to use an [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian]] crew for the main expedition. It was also decided that a steam vessel would be essential.{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=99}}

== Preparations ==
=== Plan ===
The expedition's purpose was to explore the Arctic Ocean to the North of Russia and ideally to find the Northeast Passage.{{sfn|Payer|1875|p=1}}{{sfn|Weyprecht|1875|p=19}}{{sfn|Payer|1876|p=2}} The plan was to travel from Norway to the north coast of Novaya Zemlya and from there via the [[New Siberian Islands]] to America, all in 2.5 years. It was also hoped that the exploration of this area might discover land that could be used as a base for reaching the [[North Pole]] by sea.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Weyprecht |first=Carl |date=1871 |title=Bericht über die Polarexpedition an die kaiserliche Akademie der Wissenschaften |url=https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=geo&datum=1871&size=45 |journal=Mittheilungen der kaiserlich-königlichen Geographischen Gesellschaft |volume=14 |pages=545–555 |access-date=28 December 2020}}</ref>

=== Financing ===
The total costs of 222,600 [[Austro-Hungarian florin|florins]] were covered mostly by private donations, many from Austro-Hungarian nobles. The main sponsor was [[Count Johann Nepomuk Wilczek]] who donated ƒ30,000. [[Count Franz Salm]] (1819–1887) donated ƒ20,000. From government ministries and the [[Austrian Academy of Sciences|Academy of Sciences]] the expedition received ƒ10,340 and ƒ10,000 from the crown.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 December 1874 |title=Rechnung der Nordpol-Expedition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FQW9Gps964kC&pg=RA27-PA19 |work=Volksblatt für Stadt und Land |location=Vienna |page=19 |volume=5 |issue=53}}</ref> Further important patrons included [[Zichy family|Count Ödön Zichy]] (1811–1894),{{sfn|Weyprecht|1879|p=XI}} banker {{ill|Ludwig von Ladenburg|cs|Ludwig Ladenburg}} (1873–1877),{{sfn|Schimanski & Spring|2015|p=443}} [[Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria|Archduke Rainer of Austria]],{{sfn|Schimanski & Spring|2015|p=443}} and [[Maximilian Daublebsky von Sterneck|Baron Maximilian von Sterneck]].{{sfn|Weyprecht|1879|p=X}}

=== Ship ===
The main ship was the ''Tegetthoff'', named for the Austrian [[Admiral]] [[Wilhelm von Tegetthoff]], under whom Weyprecht had served. It was built for this expedition by Teklenborg & Beurmann in [[Bremerhaven]]. It was a three-masted barkentine of 220 tons, 38.34 m long, with a 100&nbsp;[[horsepower]] (75&nbsp;kW) steam engine.{{sfn|Payer|1876|p=3}} Additionally, Count Wilczek personally chartered the sailing boat ''Isbjørn'' again, for laying an emergency depot.

=== Team ===
The crew came from all over [[Austria-Hungary]], especially from the Eastern [[Adriatic Sea|Adriatic]] coast (present-day [[Croatia]]<ref>{{cite journal |last=Altić |first=Mirela Slukan |title=Austro-Hungarian polar expedition – on the occasion of 140 anniversary of the discovery of Franc Josef Land (Summary) |date=2013 |url=https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/169472 |journal=Ekonomska i ekohistorija |volume=9 |issue=1 |access-date=13 January 2025}}</ref>), the primary recruiting area for the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]]. They communicated mainly in Italian.{{sfn|Payer|1876|pp=4f}}

{|style="width: 100%; align:top"
|
* Karl Weyprecht &ndash; commander of the ship (from [[Michelstadt]], [[Grand Duchy of Hesse|Hesse]])
* Julius Payer &ndash; leader of the land journeys (from [[Teplice]], [[Kingdom of Bohemia|Bohemia]])
* {{ill|Gustav Brosch|cs}} &ndash; 1st officer (from [[Chomutov]], Bohemia)
* {{ill|Eduard Orel|de}} &ndash; 2nd officer (from [[Nový Jičín]], [[Margraviate of Moravia|Moravia]])
* Dr. {{ill|Julius Kepes|hu|Kepes Gyula}} &ndash; ship's doctor (from [[Vary, Zakarpattia Oblast|Vary]], [[Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary]])
* [[Elling Carlsen]] &ndash; ice pilot and harpooneer (from [[Tromsø (city)|Tromsø]], [[Norway]])
* Pietro Lusina &ndash; boatswain (from [[Corpus separatum (Fiume)|Rijeka]])
* {{ill|Otto Krisch|de}} &ndash; mechanic and machinist (from [[Pačlavice]], Moravia)
* Antonio Vecerina &ndash; carpenter (from Draga near Rijeka)
* Josef Pospischil &ndash; stoker (from [[Přerov]], Moravia)
* Johann Oratsch &ndash; cook (from [[Graz]], [[Duchy of Styria|Styria]])
* {{ill|Johann Haller (polar explorer)|lt=Johann Haller|de|Johann Haller (Polarforscher)}} &ndash; hunter and mountaineer (from the [[Passeier Valley]], [[County of Tyrol|Tyrol]])
* Alexander Klotz &ndash; hunter and mountaineer (from the Passeier Valley, Tyrol)
| valign="top" width="50%" | Sailors:
* Antonio Zaninovich (from [[Hvar]], [[Kingdom of Dalmatia|Dalmatia]])
* Antonio Catarinich (from [[Lošinj]], [[Margraviate of Istria|Istria]])
* Antonio Scarpa (from [[Imperial Free City of Trieste|Trieste]])
* Antonio Lukinovich (from [[Brač]], Dalmatia)
* Giuseppe Latkovich (from [[Plomin]], Istria)
* Pietro Fallesich (from Rijeka)
* Giorgio Stiglich (from [[Bakar, Croatia|Bakar]], [[Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia|Croatia-Slavonia]])
* Vincenzio Palmich (from [[Volosko]], Istria)
* Lorenzo Marola (from Rijeka)
* Francesco Lettis (from Volosko, Istria)
* Giacomo Sussich (from Volosko, Istria)
|}

They were accompanied by two dogs from [[Finnmark|Lappland]] and six from [[Vienna]],{{sfn|Payer|1876|p=5}} as well as two cats.{{sfn|Krisch|1875|p=10}}

==Journey==
[[File:XTegetthoff.jpg|thumb|The ''Tegetthoff'' trapped in the ice]]
[[File:Térkép 1874-43.JPG|thumb|Route of the ''Tegetthoff'', sledge expeditions, and return journey]]
On 20&nbsp;June 1872, the ''Isbjørn'' set sail from the Norwegian port of Tromsø with the goal of laying a supply depot at Cape Nassau on Novaya Zemlya. Aboard were Count Wilczek, Baron von Sterneck, and Johan Kjeldsen as captain.
The ''Tegetthoff'' with her crew of 24 left Tromsø on 13&nbsp;July 1872.{{sfn|Payer|1876|p=5}}
The two ships met near the Barents Islands off Novaya Zemlya, where the emergency depot was laid, in case ''Tegetthoff'''s crew would need supplies on their way back. Having completed her mission, ''Isbjørn'' then returned to port.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Andree |first=Richard |date=30 August 1873 |title=Deutsche Reisende der Gegenwart. VII. Graf Hans Wiltschek. |url=https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb10943885?page=392,393 |access-date=10 December 2021 |magazine=Daheim |publisher=Velhagen & Klasing |pages=764–766 |via=Bayerische Staatsbibliothek |volume=IX |issue=48 |place=Leipzig}}</ref>
''Tegetthoff'' continued northward. At the end of August, she got locked in [[pack ice]] north of Novaya Zemlya and drifted to hitherto unknown polar regions.{{sfn|Payer|1875|pp=2,6}} For an extended period of time, the ship was under threat of being crushed by ice. The expedition members frequently prepared to abandon ship.{{sfn|Krisch|1875|pp=30-34,38,46-49}}

On 30&nbsp;August 1873, after one year in the ice, the explorers discovered an archipelago which they named Franz Josef Land after Austro-Hungarian [[Emperor]] [[Franz Joseph I of Austria|Franz Joseph I]].{{sfn|Payer|1875|p=12}} ''Tegetthoff'' continued to drift until the end of October, when the ship came to a halt by an island in the southeast of Franz Josef Land. In November, several small trips were made to the newly named [[Wilczek Island]], before having to wait out the polar night for further exploration.{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=100}}

In February 1874, Weyprecht and Payer decided to abandon the ice-locked ship after completing sledge expeditions to explore the newly discovered lands. The first of these went to [[Hall Island (Arctic)|Hall Island]] where the expedition members climbed Cape Tegetthoff and Sonklar glacier. The temperature on the glacier fell as low as {{convert|-58|°F|°C|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Payer|1875|pp=8f}}

The day after the return of the sledge party, Otto Krisch, who had stayed at the ship, died of [[tuberculosis]]. He had already reported suffering from chest pain in November 1872.{{sfn|Krisch|1875|p=36}} Dr. Kepes later wrote that his symptoms had been worrying since April 1873. In February 1874, he had additionally contracted [[scurvy]].{{sfn|Krisch|1875|pp=112f}} Scurvy had also been a problem for other crew members but they were able to cure it with canned vegetables, lemon juice, wine, and polar bear meat.{{sfn|Payer|1876|p=82}} Krisch was buried in a crevice on Wilczek Island. The grave was sealed with a rock and fitted with a wooden cross.{{sfn|Krisch|1875|pp=114f}}

The second sledge trip took 27 days. During the trip, the men were always running the risk that the sea ice would shift or open up and that they would not be able to return to the ship. They followed the [[Austrian Strait]] to the north, Payer surveying at various points along the way.{{sfn|Payer|1875|pp=9-12}} The exploratory work meant that much of the eastern part of Franz Josef Land could be mapped. While crossing Middendorf Glacier on [[Rudolf Island]], Zaninovich, together with the sled and dogs, fell into a [[crevasse]]. As an experienced alpinist, Haller was able to descend and rescue Zaninovich, the dogs, and the sledge with most of the equipment. They reached the northernmost point of Franz Josef Land, [[Cape Fligely]] ({{nobr|81° 51′ N}}) on 12&nbsp;April 1874. Payer believed to have seen land further north, which he called King Oscar Land and Petermann Land.{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=101}}

A third trip to [[McClintock Island]] was conducted for additional surveying.{{sfn|Payer|1875|p=17}}

On 20&nbsp;May 1874, they left the ship and tried to reach Novaya Zemlya.{{sfn|Payer|1876|p=386}} They initially took three boats, each mounted on a sled, as well as provisions and equipment for 3–4 months on three additional sledges. Each sledge weighed about {{convert|1800|lbs|kg|comma=gaps|order=flip|abbr=on}}. A small dog-sled was also employed. They proceeded by hauling the boat-sleds for some distance, then returning to retrieve the additional sledges.{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=102}} The group made very slow progress over ice full of [[hummock]]s, cracks, ridges, and [[polynya]]s. Only after eight days had they advanced out of sight of the ship.{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=104}} On 1&nbsp;July, they were unable to advance further and retreated to [[Wilczek Island#Lamont Island|Lamont Island]] which they had found on the way.{{sfn|Barr|2011|pp=104-106}} Weyprecht decided to briefly go back to the ship and retrieve a fourth boat while waiting for the ice conditions to improve. On 10&nbsp;July, they continued southwards, sometimes hauling the sledges and sometimes rowing the boats across a polynya.{{sfn|Barr|2011|pp=106-108}} Weyprecht noted some complaints about Payer's behaviour in his diary, but was quite proud of how harmonious and loyal the men were.{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=121}}

[[File:Das Verlassen des Eises (gezeichnet von Eduard Orel).jpg|thumb|''Leaving the Ice'', drawn by Orel]]
On 14&nbsp;August 1874, the expedition reached the open sea. The two remaining dogs had to be shot as they became seasick and destabilised the boats.{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=118}} After three days of rowing, they reached Novaya Zemlya. They aimed for the depot laid by Wilczek, but after accidentally rowing past it, decided to continue south and rely on the provisions they still had.{{sfn|Barr|2011|p=119}} On 24&nbsp;August, the boats of the Austro-Hungarian expedition met with fishermen from the Russian schooner ''Nikolai'', captained by {{ill|Feodor Voronin|ru|Воронин, Фёдор Иванович}}. They were received warmly by the Russian sailors who were greatly impressed by the expedition's Russian Ukase containing instructions to aid them.{{sfn|Payer|1876|p=444}}  Weyprecht and Payer agreed with Voronin to deliver the expedition to [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]] in Northern Norway for 1{{spaces|thin}}200 [[ruble|silver rubles]], three expedition boats, and two [[Pinfire cartridge|Lefaucheux guns]].{{sfn|Payer|1876|p=448}} They reached Vardø on 3&nbsp;September.{{sfn|Payer|1875|pp=18f}}

The expedition returned to Austria-Hungary by coastal steamer from Vardø and by train from Hamburg. On the journey they were met by crowds and invited to dinners hosted by local dignitaries and geographical societies in Norway, Sweden and Germany. They entered Vienna in triumph, welcomed, according to contemporary newspaper reports, by hundreds of thousands of people.<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 September 1874 |title=The Austrian arctic expedition |url=https://www.thetimes.com/archive/page/1874-09-24/3.html?region=global |work=The Times |location=London |page=3}}</ref> Further festivities followed throughout Austria-Hungary as the individual explorers returned to their homes.{{sfn|Schimanski & Spring|2015}}

==Significance==
[[File:Julius Payer Nie zurück.jpg|thumb|''Never go back'', painted by Payer]]
The expedition's discoveries and experiences made a significant contribution to polar science, especially the discovery of the [[Northeast passage]] by [[Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld]]. They also gave an impetus to [[International Polar Years]], meaning a shift from sports-like races of single expeditions to worldwide scientific cooperation in exploring the polar regions.

The expedition yielded various results in the fields of [[meteorology]], [[astronomy]], [[geodesy]], [[magnetism]], [[zoology]], and sightings of [[Aurora Borealis]]. They were published by the [[Austrian Academy of Sciences|Academy of Sciences]] in 1878. There is a book (''The Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition 1872-74''){{sfn|Payer|1876}} and paintings by Payer - probably the only paintings of a polar expedition created by the explorer himself.

==Memory==
[[Image:2005 Austria 20 Euro Admiral Tegetthoff-The Polar Expedition back.jpg|thumb|160px|[[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Austria)#2005 coinage|The Admiral Tegetthoff Ship and The Polar Expedition commemorative coin]]]]
In [[Vienna]], [[Graz]], and [[Wiener Neustadt]] there are several streets and inns that are named after the North Pole, Payer, Weyprecht, Wilczek, and Krisch. Payer was knighted in 1876.

Impressed by the expedition, [[Eduard Strauss]] composed the "Weyprecht Payer March" in 1875.<ref>Sheet music [https://bildsuche.digitale-sammlungen.de/index.html?c=viewer&bandnummer=bsb00067070&pimage=7&v=100&nav=&l=it Weyprecht-Payer-Marsch] by Eduard Strauss (Op. 120) - via Bayerische Staatsbibliothek.</ref>

In 1978, Russian scientist Vladimir Serov found a message in a bottle left by Weyprecht on Lamont Island. It is now held by the Austrian Academy of Sciences.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Matis |first=Herbert |title=Wandlungen und Brüche: Wissenschaftsgeschichte als politische Geschichte |date=12 November 2018 |publisher=Vienna University Press |isbn=9783847009146 |page=153 |chapter=Dual Use Research: Kooperationen der k. k. Kriegsmarine und der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NK94DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA153}}</ref>

The expedition was selected as the main motif for the Austrian [[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Austria)#2005 coinage|Admiral Tegetthoff Ship and The Polar Expedition commemorative coin]] minted on June 8, 2005. The reverse side of the coin shows two explorers in Arctic gear with the frozen ship behind them.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite journal |last=Payer |first=Julius |date=1875 |title=The Austro-Hungarian Polar Expedition of 1872-4 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1798702 |journal=The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London |volume=45 |pages=1–19 |doi=10.2307/1798702 |jstor=1798702 |access-date=27 December 2020|url-access=subscription }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Weyprecht |first=Carl |date=1875 |title=Scientific Work of the Second Austro-Hungarian Polar Expedition, 1872-4 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1798703 |journal=The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London |volume=45 |pages=19–33 |doi=10.2307/1798703 |jstor=1798703 |access-date=27 December 2020|url-access=subscription }}
* {{Cite book |last=Krisch |first=Anton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NTPXQwAACAAJ&pg=PA1 |title=Tagebuch des Nordpolfahrers Otto Krisch |date=1875 |publisher=Josef Klemm |location=Vienna |trans-title=Diary of Polar Voyager Otto Krisch}}
* {{Cite book |last=Payer |first=Julius |author-link=Julius von Payer |url=https://archive.org/details/dieoesterreichis00paye |title=Die österreichisch-ungarische Nordpol-Expedition in den Jahren 1872 - 1874 : nebst einer Skizze der zweiten deutschen Nordpol-Expedition 1869 - 1870 und der Polar-Expedition von 1871 |date=1876 |publisher=Hölder |location=Vienna}} (English version: [https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139151566 New Lands within the Arctic Circle]. Cambridge University Press.)
* {{Cite book |last=Weyprecht |first=Karl |url=http://mdz-nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:12-bsb11392890-5 |title=Die Metamorphosen des Polareises. Österr.-Ung. Arktische Expedition 1872-1874 |date=1879 |publisher=Moritz Perles |location=Vienna |trans-title=The Metamorphosis of Polar Ice. The Austro-Hungarian Polar Expedition of 1872–1874}}
* Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, ''Hundert Jahre Franz Josef's Land: Katalog einer Ausstellung im Prunksaal der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek'' (Vienna 1973).
* [http://www.poeschek.at Andreas Pöschek]: ''Geheimnis Nordpol. Die Österreichisch-Ungarische Nordpolexpedition 1872-1874.'' - Wien: 1999 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20060721050614/http://www.poeschek.at/files/publications/expedition.pdf download as PDF])
* {{Cite journal |last=Barr |first=William |date=2011 |title=The retreat from Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa [Franz Josef Land]: the diary of Lieutenant Carl Weyprecht of the Austro-Hungarian north pole expedition, 20 May–3 September 1874 |journal=Polar Record |volume=47 |issue=2 |pages=97–125 |doi=10.1017/S0032247409990568 |s2cid=130423104}}
* {{Cite book |last=Schimanski |first=Johan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cwG4DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA4 |title=Passagiere des Eises. Polarhelden und arktische Diskurse 1874 |last2=Spring |first2=Ulrike |date=2015 |publisher=Böhlau |isbn=978-3-205-79606-0 |location=Vienna |trans-title=Passengers of the Ice. Polar Heroes and Arctic Discourses 1874 |ref={{sfnref|Schimanski & Spring|2015}}}}

==Further reading==
* [[Christoph Ransmayr]], ''[[The Terrors of Ice and Darkness]]''.

==External links==
* [https://www.istrianet.org/istria/navigation/sea/ships/navy/tegetthoff_1871/index.htm The Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition of 1872-74] on [https://www.istrianet.org istrianet.org]
* [https://www.polarhistorie.no/artikler/2008/Den%20osterriksk-ungarske%20polarekspedisjonen%201872-1874.html Den østerriksk-ungarske polarekspedisjonen 1872-1874] on [https://www.polarhistorie.no polarhistorie.no]
* [https://russwien.weebly.com/arktis.html# Ни за что обратно! или Чёртовы мячи для гольфа! или Самая северная гробница мира! / „Nie zurück!“ oder „Die Golfbälle des Teufels“ oder „Das nördlichste Grab der Welt“] on [https://russwien.weebly.com russwien.weebly.com]
* [http://www.paclavice.cz/index.phtml?go=obec&page=clanek&id=305 Deník Oty Kříže] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155323/http://www.paclavice.cz/index.phtml?go=obec&page=clanek&id=305 |date=2015-04-02 }} on [http://www.paclavice.cz paclavice.cz]

==See also==
*[[Weyprecht Mountains]]
*[[Payer Mountains]]

{{Franz Josef Land}}
{{Polar exploration|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:19th century in the Arctic]]
[[Category:Arctic expeditions]]
[[Category:1872 in Austria-Hungary]]
[[Category:History of Franz Josef Land]]