This is us – the 45th overwintering team introduces itself
It was with mixed feelings that we overwinterers of the 45th overwintering team looked after the aircraft as it disappeared over the horizon on 11 January 2025 with our predecessors on board.
On the one hand, we were looking forward to a new chapter, more responsibility and our own cabin (privacy is a rare commodity), but on the other hand, we were also wistful – we had a great familiarisation period and got on very well with the old ÜWIs, with whom we spent almost two months.
So if any of the 44th team are reading this: Thank you for the time together, you crazy people, enjoy your new-found freedom, hug a tree for us and don’t get annoyed!
So now we’ve got the (stocking) trousers on and are looking after the scientific and technical areas of the station to the best of our knowledge and belief.
However, before we take you into the respective areas of responsibility or write about another topic (there are more than enough interesting topics, but we often don’t have the time), we would like to introduce ourselves to you with a classic profile.
Julia Gutting – doctor and station leader
This is what I do at the Neumayer Station:
I am the doctor in charge here on the station and responsible for minor and major medical problems. However, as we have all been scrutinised in advance and it is therefore assumed that there shouldn’t be too much work for me, I am also the station leader.
Where I come from:
I was born in Freiburg, grew up in Emmendingen and have lived in Ravensburg for the last 13.5 years.
What I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
I like the great view from the lounge. I like the fact that you can still find a quiet spot even when the station is full. And I like being in the station when it’s stormy and feeling it move back and forth in the wind.
What brought me here:
I first became aware of the Alfred Wegener Institute through my interest in the Mosaic expedition of the Polarstern. I then saw the job advert for the Neumayer Station on the website and applied in 2023.
When I’m not working, my favourite thing to do is:
Going for walks outside, watching penguins, feeling the cold
My favourite song:
Little Finger Vow – Florian Künstler
Moments we live for – in Paradise
My favourite food:
Curry in all its varieties
That’s what I’m afraid of during overwintering:
That a medical problem will arise that I can’t help with because I don’t have the materials. But we are very well equipped, so that shouldn’t happen. Or that one of my family members becomes seriously ill and I can’t be there.
What I will remember about the summer season:
Since the sun didn’t set for a total of 2 months, I’ll remember it like one big, long, crazy day.
Places I love in my home country:
I like to be at, on or in Lake Constance or go for walks in the forest.
That’s what I’ll do when I’m back home:
The very first thing I’ll do is visit family & close friends and look forward to seeing and hugging them all again. And then eat a big plate of salad.
Thomas Schenk – station engineer, technical manager/deputy station leader
This is what I do at the Neumayer Station:
Together with electrical engineer Regine and IT specialist and radio operator Alex, we take care of all the station’s technical equipment.
From the station hydraulics to the snow groomers to a blocked water pipe; we repair and maintain everything – with a fork and adhesive tape if necessary.
As technical manager and deputy station leader, I’m also responsible for various administrative matters.
Where I come from:
Madiswil, Switzerland – a small village with the sound of cowbells, the scent of flower meadows and friendly people nodding to each other on the streets
What I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
The wastewater treatment plant (NOT), the large windows everywhere, especially in the gallery (the space between the living and working areas and the outer shell), the sauna and the sports corner
What brought me here:
The thirst for adventure, the challenge and an application that I actually only wrote as a joke (I don’t regret anything!)
When I’m not working, my favourite thing to do is:
Freezing my fingers while taking photos, tinkering in the workshop, lots of sport and eating good food to my heart’s content (thanks Thorben!)
My favourite song:
Vagabond – Caamp
My favourite food:
Fondue and raclette, of course – as a Swiss person, I’m not allowed to name anything else in this question
What I’m afraid of during overwintering:
That I’ll painstakingly let my hair grow long and then go bald towards the end of the winter
What I’ll remember about the summer season:
The stark contrast between the noise and hustle and bustle inside the station and the absolute silence outside
Places I love in my home country:
Wherever my favourite people are. I miss you.
That’s what I’ll do when I’m back home:
Plant a garden, listen to the crickets chirping and a summer thunderstorm, walk barefoot through the grass and maybe set up something of my own, miss Antarctica
Thorben Koeppen – cook
This is what I do at the Neumayer Station:
In summer, I am primarily responsible for catering for up to 55 people. Up to 5 meals go out, while in winter it’s 3 meals for 9 overwinterers.
Where I come from:
I was born in Wilhelmshaven.
What I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
The encounters with the emperor penguins in Atka Bay and the surreal landscapes. The various leisure activities on the station, and finally the ‘library in the ice’ as a place of retreat
What brought me here:
Having already cooked at the North Pole, I wanted to cook at the South Pole too. I may not have reached the South Pole directly, but I’m heading in the right direction.
When I’m not working, my favourite thing to do is:
Spending time in the station environment, playing table tennis, lingering on the ‘balcony’
My favourite song:
Walking on the Moon – Roseaux, Aloe Blacc
My favourite food:
Cheese sandwich with mustard
What I’m afraid of during overwintering:
–
What I will remember about the summer season:
The summer guests and although the resort was full, there was always a quiet place somewhere
Places I love in my home country:
The sea & the mountains
That’s what I do when I’m back home:
Eat a fish sandwich by the sea & then quickly head to the mountains to go skiing
Alex – radio operator and IT engineer
This is what I do at the Neumayer Station:
As a radio operator and IT engineer, I am responsible for ensuring that the internet works, that data gets from A to B and that all the antennas stay on the roof. I look after the aeronautical radio, supervise some scientific projects during the winter and am available to help with electronic problems and repairs.
Where I come from:
My home is Reppentin. A very small village near Plau am See in the centre of the Mecklenburg Lake District. I have lived in Hamburg for the last 5 years.
What I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
The surroundings, the workshop and the radio station
What brought me here:
The search for a special adventure with new challenges
When I’m not working, my favourite thing to do is:
Amateur radio – worldwide radio contacts on shortwave or via satellite, building things, 3D printing, turning, welding …, sports
My favourite song:
Heavy is the Crown, Linkin Park
My favourite food:
Broccoli (in all variations 😂)
What I’m afraid of during overwintering:
The broccoli is running out.
What I’ll remember about the summer season:
Trips to the sea ice and outdoor locations, sleeping in the open air
Places I love in my home country:
Lake Plau
That’s what I’ll do when I’m back home:
Moving to the countryside
Regine Kerschner – electrical engineer
This is what I do at the Neumayer Station:
Together with Tom, I look after the technical operation of the station. Our job is to keep everything in working order so that the station remains functional – and that means a lot of different tasks.
Whether it’s vehicles, cold stores, sewage treatment plants or defective sensors – we maintain, repair and improvise where necessary. Even if a water or heating pipe is leaking, we are there to help. Pushing snow is just as much a part of the job as refuelling the station or the aircraft.
Where I come from:
Fürth
What I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
What I appreciate most here is the freedom to familiarise myself with different areas and simply try things out. There are many tasks where you can find your own solutions, and that makes the work exciting.
I also like the roof and the ‘balcony’ of the station. From there you have a great view of the surrounding area and can take a deep breath.
What brought me here:
It was actually a coincidence – I came across the job advert and thought to myself: Why not? So I simply applied. And now I’m here.
When I’m not working, my favourite thing to do is:
In my free time, I like to be outside – on trips to the sea ice, watching penguins, marvelling at icebergs or hoping for whales at the North Jetty. The passing icebergs at SPOT are also always a highlight.
My favourite song:
I don’t have a fixed favourite song at the moment – I’m still looking for the soundtrack for my time here.
My favourite food:
Pinning one down is not that easy – I don’t really have a favourite food.
What I’m afraid of during overwintering:
So far, there’s nothing that I’m really afraid of. Rather, the anticipation prevails – I’m excited to see what the coming months will be like and what awaits us.
What I will remember about the summer season:
The summer season was an intense but great time. The handover went really well – little sleep, but all the more sun, lots of excursions and plenty of hustle and bustle. It often felt like a big school trip with a lot of work to be done at the same time.
This special atmosphere and the togetherness will definitely be remembered.
Places I love in my home country:
I really miss sitting on the terrace with my flatmates in the evenings and generally having plants, nature and mountains around me. I would also sometimes like to be surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the housing project I lived in before.
That’s what I’ll do when I’m back home:
I will visit family and friends, travel, probably go hiking first and enjoy the hustle and bustle of many people and the green nature.
Lukas Weis – atmospheric chemist
This is what I do at the Neumayer Station:
Supervision of the trace substance observatory
Where I come from:
Leonberg
What I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
Incredibly beautiful surroundings & super nice people
What brought me here:
Fascination for Antarctica
When I’m not working, my favourite thing to do is:
Photography
My favourite song:
Lord of the Rings & Hobbit soundtrack
My favourite food:
Indian curry
What I’m afraid of during overwintering:
I have the most respect for the storms & that the winter is over too quickly.
What I’ll remember about the summer season:
The people & the sea ice and the penguins
Places I love in my home country:
Places for beautiful hiking in the Black Forest
That’s what I’ll do when I’m back home:
Visiting friends and family
Johanna Brehmer-Moltmann – geophysicist
This is what I do at the Neumayer Station:
Recording earthquakes, measuring the magnetic field, tensioning masts, making cables & sometimes making a mess
Where I come from:
Rüsselsheim / Rhine-Main area
What I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
Our ‘balcony’, the area in front of our lab where you can look out towards the South Pole, especially from the hammock
What brought me here:
A desire for ice & snow and curiosity about the polar regions
When I’m not working, my favourite thing to do is:
Playing table tennis, being outside, being silly
My favourite song:
Hello Sunshine – Lemony Rug, Luke Noa
My favourite food:
Thorben’s tour of the fridge
What I’m afraid of during overwintering:
That the ice will melt away from under our feet
What I’ll remember about the summer season:
Sunshine & hustle & bustle
Places I love in my home country:
My parents’ garden
That’s what I’ll do when I’m back home:
Go to the forest. And in the mountains
Jozef Müller – geophysicist
This is what I do at the Neumayer Station:
I look after seismic, magnetic and other devices that monitor the Earth’s vital functions.
Where I come from:
I come from the far south-east (not Austria!), namely from the city of Košice in Slovakia.
That’s what I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
It’s also fun to simply look out of the window here, where there are hundreds and even thousands of kilometres of white ‘nothingness’.
What brought me here:
Above all, the desire for something completely new and unknown, something that will stay in my memory for a lifetime
When I’m not working, my favourite thing to do is:
–
My favourite song:
Very difficult to say, maybe ‘The Dragon Lies Bleeding’ by Hammerfall
My favourite food:
From German cuisine, this is definitely Schnitzel with chips
What I’m afraid of during overwintering:
I don’t have any major fears, we’re well looked after here.
What I’ll remember about the summer season:
The violent beginning when I entered a completely different world
Places I love in my home country:
My home town and also Prague, where I spent quite a long time
That’s what I’ll do when I’m back home:
Enjoying at least a week doing ‘nothing’ and also visiting places I feel somehow connected to
Christian Schröder – meteorologist
What I particularly like about the Neumayer Station:
The snow and the penguins all around
My favourite song:
Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift
My favourite food:
Rumfort
That’s what I’ll do when I’m back home:
Sleeping
