Leonid Breitfuss and his contacts with norwegian polar explorers

• Main Authors: Shrader, Tatjana, "Арктика история и современность", ежегодная международная научная конференция 3; 2018; Санкт-Петербург
• Format: Text
• Language: Russian
• Published: ПОЛИТЕХ-ПРЕСС 2019
• Subjects: Arctic; Barents Sea; Breitfuss; Norway
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.18720/spbpu/2/id19-113; http://elib.spbstu.ru/dl/2/id19-113.pdf

Leonid Breitfuss (1863-1950) - the scientist, the investigator of the Arctic regions of the European part of Russia. Norwegian and Russian governments decorated him with high awards for his valuable contribution to the science according studying of the Arctic regions, for saving some Russian polar expeditions. He was widely known by polar scientists in many countries. L. Breitfuss had published 213 scientific works. L.Breitfuss was born in the German family in Petersburg, lived in the capital of Russia since XVIII century. In the youth he took part in one of revolutionary organizations and was exiled to Germany, where he lived from 1890- to 1897. In Berlin he studied biology and hydrography. In Russia he took part in the work of the Committee for helping the pomors, was a leader of Murman expedition. Since 1901 to1912 according the task of the International Conference of studying North and Baltic seas he send scientific facts to the Research Centre in Copenhagen. .L.Breitfuss had composed the map of depths and streams in Barents sea. In 1914 he took part in organization of Polar Commission. His big polar library is in Petersburg now. Since 1912 L.Breitfuss worked in Hydrographical Marine Department. L.Breitfuss and Yu. Schokal’sky were the members of International Commission of studying of North-European seawater. He took part in saving the three Russian polar expeditions and there for he visited Norway to find a good polar ship to find the expeditions. In this country he had many friendspolar explorers ( Fr.Nansen,R.Amundsen,Yo.Hjort and other)who helped him. In 1919 L.Breitfuss emigrated to Germany. There he was one of the organizers of society "Aeroarctic", (leader was Fr.Nansen), composed the map for flying of German airship "Count Tseppelin", collected a library of polar investigations history. L.Breitfuss died 20. July 1950, 86 years old.