View source for Karl Weyprecht

{{short description|Austrian explorer (1838–1881)}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Karl Weyprecht
|image=Karl Weyprecht.jpg
|caption=
|birth_date={{birth-date|8 September 1838}} 
|death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1881|3|3|1838|9|8}}
|birth_place= [[Darmstadt]], [[Germany]]
|death_place=[[Michelstadt]]
|nickname=
|allegiance={{flag|Austria-Hungary}}
|branch= {{navy|Austria-Hungary}}
|serviceyears=
|rank=''[[k.u.k.]] [[Kapitänleutnant|Linienschiffsleutnant]]''
|unit=
|commands=Co-led, with Julius von Payer, the 1872–1874 [[Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition]] that discovered [[Franz Josef Land]]
|battles=[[Austro-Sardinian War]]<br />[[Battle of Lissa (1866)]]
|awards=
|relations=
|laterwork=
}}

'''Karl Weyprecht''', also spelt '''Carl Weyprecht''', (8 September 1838 &ndash; 2 March 1881{{inconsistent}}) was an [[Austro-Hungarian]] explorer. He was an officer (''[[k.u.k.]] [[Kapitänleutnant|Linienschiffsleutnant]]'') in the [[Austro-Hungarian Navy]]. He is most famous as an Arctic explorer, and an advocate of international cooperation for scientific polar exploration.  Although he did not live to see it occur, he is associated with the organisation of the first [[International Polar Year]].

In 1852, he studied at [[Gymnasium (Germany)|Gymnasium]] in [[Darmstadt]], but later switched to Höhere Gewerbeschule Darmstadt, now the [[Technische Universität Darmstadt]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lagis-hessen.de/pnd/117332895|title=Weyprecht, Carl|date=2019-09-08|website=Hessische Biografie|access-date=2019-09-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.darmstadt-stadtlexikon.de/w/weyprecht-carl.html|title=Weyprecht, Carl|website=www.darmstadt-stadtlexikon.de|access-date=2019-09-16}}</ref>

In 1856, he joined the Austro-Hungarian Navy (''Kriegsmarine'') as a provisional sea cadet.  He served in the [[Austro-Sardinian War]].  From 1860 to 1862, he served on the frigate ''Radetzky'' under the command of Admiral [[Wilhelm von Tegetthoff|Tegetthoff]].  From 1863 to 1865, he was instructional officer on the training ship ''Hussar.''

On 23 July 1865, he became known to the German geographer [[August Petermann]] at a meeting of the "Geographic Society" in [[Frankfurt]].

He served in the 20 July 1866 sea [[battle of Lissa (1866)|battle at Lissa]], aboard the ironclad {{SMS|Drache|1861|2}}.

He met [[Julius von Payer]] in 1870, and made a preliminary expedition with Payer to [[Novaya Zemlya]] in 1871.

On 18 February 1872, Weyprecht gained citizenship in [[Austria-Hungary]].

He co-led, with Julius von Payer, the 1872-1874 [[Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition]] which discovered the archipelago [[Franz Josef Land]] in the Arctic Ocean. The expedition's ship ''Admiral Tegetthoff'' was abandoned in the pack ice. The expedition then moved on sledges to go further north, then to open water, where they used boats to reach the Black Cape of [[Novaya Zemlya]] and would eventually contact a Russian schooner, "Nikolaj", under Captain Feodor Voronin, and get to [[Vardø (town)|Vardø]], Norway, where they took the [[mail boat]] south and eventually returned to Vienna. He was awarded the 1875 [[Royal Geographical Society]]'s [[Founder's Medal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/C5962519-882A-4C67-803D-0037308C756D/0/GoldMedallists18322011.pdf |title=List of Past Gold Medal Winners |publisher=[[Royal Geographical Society]] |access-date=24 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927221002/http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/C5962519-882A-4C67-803D-0037308C756D/0/GoldMedallists18322011.pdf |archive-date=27 September 2011 }}</ref>

On 18 September 1875, he addressed the 48th Meeting of German Scientists and Physicians in Graz, Austria. He reported the "basic principles of Arctic research" and suggested that fixed Arctic observation stations should be established.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://members.eunet.at/castaway/history/history.html |title=History of the Austrian Polar Exploration |access-date=2008-04-22 |last=Koerbel |first=Hermann F. |year=2003 |publisher=eunet.at |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080412063131/http://members.eunet.at/castaway/history/history.html |archive-date=2008-04-12 }}</ref> According to Weyprecht, it was important to organize a network of Arctic stations taking regular measurements of weather and ice conditions with identical devices and at preestablished intervals.<ref>[http://www.vitiaz.ru/congress/en/thesis/98.html Russian-Soviet polar stations and their role in the Arctic Seas exploration ''Romanenko, O. Shilovtseva (Moscow State University, Geographical Department)''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119195714/http://vitiaz.ru/congress/en/thesis/98.html |date=2008-01-19 }}</ref>

In 1879, he presented these ideas, along with [[Georg von Neumayer|George Neumayer]]'s to the 2nd International Congress of Meteorologists in Rome.

Karl Weyprecht died of [[tuberculosis]] in 1881.

== Commemorations ==
* The Austro-Hungarian polar expedition led by Weyprecht was selected as 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 8 June 2005.  The reverse side of the coin shows two explorers in Arctic gear with the frozen ship "Admiral Tegetthoff" behind them.
* Swedish musician [[Stina Nordenstam]]'s sound installation ''Isens Fasor'' was spoken directly from Karl Weyprecht's expedition journal.
* [[Weyprecht Mountains]], [[Cape Weyprecht]], [[Weyprecht Fjord]], [[Weyprecht Glacier]], [[Weyprecht Islands]]
* The base camp near [[Erfoud]], [[Morocco]] for the PolAres MARS2013 analog mission by the [[OeWF]] in February of that year was named ''Camp Weyprecht'' during the landing ceremony in the morning of 11 February 2013. (A smaller satellite location about 80&nbsp;km further south was named ''Station [[Julius von Payer|Payer]]''.)

==Bibliography==

* Karl Weyprecht, ''Die Metamorphosen des Polareises. Österr.-Ung. Arktische Expedition 1872-1874''  (The Metamorphosis of Polar Ice.  The Austro-Hungarian Polar Expedition of 1872–1874)
* Julius von Payer ''New Lands within the Arctic Circle'' (1876)
* [http://www.poeschek.at Andreas Pöschek]: ''Geheimnis Nordpol. Die Österreichisch-Ungarische Nordpolexpedition 1872-1874.'' Wien: 1999 ([https://web.archive.org/web/20060622075404/http://www.poeschek.at/de/research/index.php download as PDF])
* Ursula Rack ''Sozialhistorische Studie zur Polarforschung anhand von deutschen und österreich-ungarischen Polarexpeditionen zwischen 1868-1939'' (Vienna 2009).

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Weyprecht, Karl|short=x}}

{{Polar exploration|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Weyprecht, Karl}}
[[Category:1838 births]]
[[Category:1881 deaths]]
[[Category:Explorers from Austria-Hungary]]
[[Category:Austro-Hungarian Navy officers]]

[[Category:Explorers of the Arctic]]
[[Category:Novaya Zemlya]]
[[Category:Franz Josef Land]]
[[Category:Austrian meteorologists]]
[[Category:Antarctic scientists]]
[[Category:Austrian people of German descent]]
[[Category:People from the Grand Duchy of Hesse]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Darmstadt]]
[[Category:People from Michelstadt]]
[[Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Germany]]
[[Category:19th-century deaths from tuberculosis]]
[[Category:Technische Universität Darmstadt alumni]]