Antarctica

Despite its remote location, it can become almost busy in the Antarctic in some places and at certain times: research, tourism and logistics support for activities all leave their footprint. It is not always necessary to be present in person to preserve the uniqueness of the Antarctic. A lot of work of administrative nature in particular is done outside the Treaty territory.

From time to time one hears the question to whom the Antarctic actually belongs to. The answer is simple: since there is no indigenous population in the Antarctic, it is a world heritage and belongs to everyone and to nobody in particular! The Antarctic Treaty System regulates both of these aspects.

Although the Antarctic does not "belong" to anyone as such, anybody travelling to the territory covered by the Antarctic Treaty must comply with certain rules during their stay. Any German national planning an activity in the Antarctic or organising a journey which originates in Germany must be granted approval from the German Federal Environment Agency.

The reasons for travelling to the Antarctic are as varied as the possibilities to do so. We have compiled information on the following pages to help you plan your journey to the Antarctic in accordance with the high environmental standards in effect and to apply for your permit with us.

Antarctica was only first discovered in the early 19th century – no human had ever set foot on the southernmost continent before that. Even today, there are no permanent settlements aside from scientific stations. The people who travel to the Antarctic today are researchers, tourists or journalists.

"Imagine a country as large as Australia and Europe together, sunnier than California but colder than the icebox of a refrigerator, dryer than Arabia and higher than Switzerland, emptier than the Sahara. There is only one place in the world that fits this description: Antarctica — this strange but beautiful continent in the lowest part of the Earth." (J. M. Dukert)

Roald Amundsen said, “We must not cease to remember with gratitude and admiration the first seafarers who navigated their ships through storms and fog to augment our knowledge of the land of ice in the south”. Since discovery of the Antarctic our knowledge of it has grown steadily, and so has our responsibility for this fragile ecosystem.