12 Facts About Fritz Loewe

Fritz Loewe was a German polar explorer, glaciologist, geophysicist and meteorologist.

Fritz Loewe had wanted to be a pilot, but his eyesight was not up to the mark, so he had to take measurements and readings while sitting on the rear cockpit of the plane.

Fritz Loewe took part in the preparatory trip of the German Greenland Expedition led by Alfred Wegener in 1929.

In February 1934 Fritz Loewe lost his position at the Aeronautical Observatory after he was denounced as a Jew by Ernst Sorge.

Fritz Loewe moved to England with his wife Else and his two baby daughters, Ruth.

Fritz Loewe had the chance to give lectures on climatology at Cambridge University.

Finally, in 1937 Fritz Loewe left England with his family and emigrated to Australia, a move that had been proposed to him by Sir Raymond Priestley, one of the founders of the Scott Polar Research Institute and Vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne.

Fritz Loewe was offered the opportunity to work as a teacher at the university and in 1939 he founded a meteorological institute at the university, which was the first of its kind in Australia.

Fritz Loewe led the institute for over twenty years and researched coastal fog, dust storms and "free atmosphere" conditions.

From 1947 onwards Fritz Loewe revived again his interest in Antarctica.

In 1958 Fritz Loewe was asked by UNESCO to establish a meteorological training institute in Karachi.

Fritz Loewe was survived by his wife and two daughters.