The first International Polar Year 1882–1883

Eight countries worked together to establish fourteen different research stations during the Polar Year. Twelve of these would be in the Arctic proper. Sweden assumed responsibility for the station on Spitsbergen. This was established at Kapp Thordsen, north of Isfjorden. Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld had already built a house there ten years earlier. The building is known to this day as ‘Svenskehuset’ (the Swedish house). The structure was expanded and outfitted to become a full-fledged research station. The rebuilding was led by Salomon August Andrée, who had a degree in mechanical engineering. The expedition included six scientists and was led by meteorologist Nils Gustav Ekholm. Three Swedish and three Norwegian workmen also participated.

The scientific work began in August 1882. Throughout the following winter, observations and measurements were made regularly, essentially every hour, according to plan. From a scientific standpoint, the expedition was a success. The data series from Kapp Thordsen were used by many researchers. One of these was the Norwegian Kristian Birkeland, who used the data around 1900 in his research into what causes northern lights. The expedition was a success in other ways as well: the winter was not marred by accidents or serious illness. Such good fortune could not be counted on during the Arctic expeditions of the 1800s.

Fifty years later, 1932–1933, the second Polar Year was carried out. In Svalbard, an expedition performed geophysical measurements on Nordenskiöldfjellet near Longyearbyen. The observation hut is still there. The latest International Polar Year was 2007–2008.