1873day.year
Austrian explorers Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht discover the archipelago of Franz Josef Land in the Arctic Sea.
In 1873, Austrian explorers Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht sighted and charted the islands of Franz Josef Land, expanding Europe's knowledge of the Arctic.
During the Austro-Hungarian North Pole Expedition, officers Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht ventured into the Arctic Sea.
On 30 August 1873, their party discovered a previously uncharted group of islands, which they named Franz Josef Land.
The archipelago became one of the northernmost landmasses known at the time, lying well within the Arctic Circle.
Payer and Weyprecht conducted scientific observations, mapping coastlines and documenting wildlife in harsh polar conditions.
Their findings enriched European cartography and spurred further Arctic exploration by other nations.
Franz Josef Land remains a remote and ecologically significant region, protected for its unique polar habitats.
1873
Julius von Payer
Karl Weyprecht
archipelago
Franz Josef Land