The FRAM - Fridtjof Nansen and his ship
His origins, his approach to the circumstances, his thirst for knowledge, his ambition and at the same time humility towards nature and his forward-looking empathy are the basis for one of the greatest ideas shortly before the turn of the 20th century. Fridtjof Nansens first crossed Greenland and then, with Colin Archer, built the most famous polar ship of all time, the FRAM.
The FRAM - Fridtjof Nansen's dream of the North Pole
With Otto Sverdrup as captain and 11 other participants, Nansen heads north. At first everything goes according to plan and the drift also starts promisingly. But when the expedition threatens to fail, Nansens sets off on foot to the North Pole and only the solidarity with his companion Fredrik Johansen prevents the catastrophe.
The FRAM - discoveries and secrets
Otto Sverdrup went on the 2nd FRAM expedition. By attempting to circumnavigate Greenland and discover part of the Northeast Passage, he became a tireless explorer of the Arctic islands. Missing the actual goal, this research trip is considered by many scientists to be the most successful expedition in the history of Arctic research - to this day. Roald Amundsen's preparation for the 3rd FRAM expedition to the North Pole hides a secret.
The FRAM - Race to the South Pole
The FRAM is already on its way south when Amundsen reveals the secret. The 3rd FRAM expedition becomes a dramatic race to the South Pole with the Englishman Robert Scott. Within a few weeks of each other, both reached their icy goal. But only one explorer returns. But FRAM outlasts its heroes and still stands for their inventiveness, courage to explore and willpower.
Northwest & Northeast - The Search for the Passages
“Cape Horn” or “Cape of Good Hope”: something had to be passed for a long time in order to get out of the Atlantic into the Pacific or the Indian Ocean. In order to find shorter trading passages, the course was called northwest or northeast. But even famous researchers and explorers like Franklin and DeLong failed because of an opponent even more powerful than the storms at the Cape - the Eternal Ice.
The Heroic Age – the golden age of Antarctic research
Heroes are needed to discover the last part of the earth. As nations race for fame and prestige, the Golden Age of Arctic discovery reaches its climax with Amundsen (1911) and Scott (1912) reaching the South Pole. Ernest Shackelton's last expedition came to an end in 1922.