Only five small glaciers exist in the German part of the Alps. They are too small to play an important role in the regional hydrological system, but are significant remnants of the earlier glaciation of the northern Alps. Therefore, they have been mapped already in the 19th century and are monitored since about 1950. A survey in 2018 documents the recent status of the glaciers. The synthesis of the long term monitoring and an estimate of the future for these small ice bodies is presented here.

Russia plays a little-known but significant role on Spitsbergen, which is still perceived as Norwegian. Interviews show that the changes in the social life of the last years are largely viewed as positive by the residents. The strong focus on tourism and science in parallel to preserve the rich history shows a way to establish modern Russian settlements. Related to its long experiences with the Spitsbergen Treaty, Russia can contribute as a mediator in terms of future changes on the archipelago.

The Second German Antarctic Expedition (1911–1912) had problems before it set sail south. Wilhelm Filchner (1877–1957) failed to secure his position as expedition leader. He had the support neither of the scientists and officers on board nor of the scientific community in Germany. However, the scientific results were astonishing considering these unfortunate circumstances. That is an example that bad leadership and successful scientific work are not contradictions.

When one hears the name Arthur Conan Doyle one usually thinks first of his literary hero and master detective Sherlock Holmes rather than the writer himself. But it was not only London's top crime fighter and his faithful companion (Dr. Watson) who braved dangers, Doyle himself experienced exciting – and sometimes life-threatening – adventures, which later provided inspiration for his literary work. This article examines his journey on an English whaler as a member of the crew and ship’s doctor.

Science is an integral part of the New Arctic Policy Guidelines according to which scientific findings shall be the starting point of the German activities in the Arctic. The article argues that an independent “German” Arctic policy can only be successfully shaped by taking scientific knowledge into consideration. Furthermore, the article questions the existing research system of polar science and stresses the necessity of an interdisciplinary exchange for reaching the goals of the Guidelines.

The working group "Biological and Ecological Processes" is a network of the German Association for Polar Research (DGP). It connects biologists with different research backgrounds and a variety of institutions. This still recent working group holds the potential to, e.g., foster new approaches across marine and terrestrial research in polar regions.

The Geology and Geophysics working group is one the largest within the German Society of Polar Research. Here, we present an overview of the development of major scientific German polar research programs and locations as well as important white papers from the last decades. This work is based on the contributions of members and institutions, including the Alfred Wegener Institute, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources and German Universities with polar research programs.

Ice sheets, glaciers and further ice-covered areas with their changes as well as interactions with the solid Earth and the ocean are subject of intensive research, especially against the backdrop of global climate change. The resulting questions are of concern to scientists from various disciplines such as geodesy, glaciology, physical geography and geophysics. Thus, the working group "Polar Geodesy and Glaciology", founded in 2013, offers a forum for discussion and stimulating exchange.

The History of Polar Research working group not only examines advances in the disciplines represented in polar research or technical developments in expedition logistics, but also the various national and international research co-operations and the steps towards institutionalising polar research. Due to the broad spectrum of research, polar history is considered in a political, economic and cultural or even biographical context. The group presents its results on polar conferences.

The polar regions are a hotspot of climate change and its effects. Polar Educators Germany is hence engaged to teaching polar research in schools throughout Germany. The network cooperates with the scientific community and is internationally involved. Since the founding of the working group in 2008, numerous new teaching materials on polar topics have been produced. Educators are able to train on polar expeditions, among other activities, and pass on their experiences to colleagues and students.

The German National Committee (APECS Germany) of the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) is a network of polar researchers organising activities at the national level in Germany. In our inaugural dedicated pages in Polarforschung, we interview two former APECS Germany chairs to discuss their careers in polar research, their involvement with APECS, and their perspectives on the future of their fields.

The German Arctic Office at the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) serves as an information and cooperation platform at the interface between science and policy and contributes to AWI's knowledge transfer. The office supports the German Federal Ministries concerned with Arctic affairs by fostering dialogue and information exchange and providing knowledge to support future-oriented and sustainable Arctic decision making.

The Year of Polar Prediction was initiated by the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) as the key component of the 10-year Polar Prediction Project (PPP, https://www.polarprediction.net). The aim is to promote cooperative international research enabling the development of improved weather and environmental prediction services for the polar regions, on timescales from hours to seasons.

The IcePod is the podcast about polar science and the people. We will talk to scientists who went on board Polarstern, the German research icebreaker, for the biggest research expedition in the Arctic. It is produced in collaboration with the Alfred Wegener Institute and Radio Weser.TV, where the full episodes with music will be played at www.medialabnord.de/radio-livestream/. For dates check back with polarprediction@gmail.com.

Science communication is an important tool to implement current research into schools. One way of directly involving educators is the attendance in polar expeditions. Four educators were able to participate in the MOSAiC expedition in 2019 (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate). Important results include the publication of teaching materials for schools. Here an example of the earth's grid of parallels and meridians is shown, which can be used directly in class.

Lecture manuscripts of the meteorologist Heinrich von Ficker (1881–1957), who taught in Graz, Berlin and Vienna, are now accessible in the archive of the Humboldt University in Berlin. Among other things, they deal with high mountain research in the Alai-Pamir region more than 100 years ago. This article provides an insight into these manuscripts.

During the 18th Meeting of Latin American Antarctic Historians (Encuentro de Historiadores Antárticos Latinoamericanos) in San Esteban, Chile, 5–7 September 2018, a European representative of Antarctic history was invited for the first time to provide a new perspective on the research topic. The lectures dealt mostly with South American aspects of Antarctic history, complemented by book presentations and reminiscences from overwinterers at the Chilean station Base O'Higgins.

Submarines and satellites observed a halving of Arctic sea ice thickness in the last 60 years. Sea ice thinning alters the Arctic climate and ecosystem and the weather in our latitudes. Rising air and ocean temperatures and increased ice drift speeds cause the thinning. Thinner ice breaks up easier, and can pile up locally in thick ridges. Understanding the contribution of those processes to the ice thickness enables us to better predict the future of Arctic sea ice.