Croats on the Frozen Sea, 1872–1874

The exhibition tells the story of one of the most important polar expeditions of the 19th century –
the Austro-Hungarian scientific Arctic expedition of 1872–1874.

A particularly valuable part of this historical story is the fact that 12 of the 24 crew members
came from the Adriatic region. The expedition leaders Carl Weyprecht and Julius Payer
collectively called them the Quarneroli.

Although many doubted that sailors from the warm Adriatic could endure extreme polar
conditions, the Croatian and Adriatic seamen proved crucial to the success of the expedition –
resilient, reliable and optimistic even in the most difficult circumstances.

The expedition ship Admiral Tegetthoff remained trapped in the ice for more than
two years, and during that dramatic voyage the previously unknown
archipelago of Franz Josef Land was discovered.