Not realizing that the impressions and experiences of that time would be almost historic 25 years later, these initially private records of two Arctic voyages in 1996 and 1998 in ARKTIS and ANTARKTIS were written from the perspective of a ship's doctor directly on board the large German research icebreaker POLARSTERN. In addition to the medical care of more than 100 male and female crew members from all over the world, the book deals with natural sciences such as geophysics, oceanography, glaciology, biology, meteorology and astronomy as well as CLIMATOLOGY, but also with seamanship and funny polar and equatorial baptisms. The rich, amateurish but equally authentic illustrations of the time were added later.