»Für eine materielle und räumliche Geschichte der Wissensproduktion. Eine Einleitung«. In the history of science and knowledge, materiality and space have until now frequently been studied separately. This introduction to the HSR Focus ‘Spaces –Objects – Knowledge’ argues that approaches that combine these aspects offer new perspectives on processes of knowledge production. Knowledge is produced, this introduction argues, in the interaction of humans, objects, and the spaces they are situated in. The tie that brings these elements together is the notion of practice. Three exemplary constellations in which humans, objects, and spaces are brought into interplay are discussed: Objects producing spaces, objects circulating through different spaces, and

"Als erste am Sudpol. Die Produktion geographischer Fakten wahrend der norwegischen Antarktisexpedition, 1910-12". This article seeks to open a so-called black box. It asks how the information that Roald Amundsen reached the South Pole in December 1911 became accepted as a 'matter of fact' that found its way into most overviews of the 19th century. To open this black box, the article examines the techniques and strategies that the Norwegian Antarctic expedition of 1910 to 1912 applied to produce its data. It argues that the Norwegian expedition applied at least three different techniques: Optical instruments were used to come as close to the pole as possible and encircle it; landmarks were left around the pole to turn the British expedition that followed the Norwegians at the pole into eye-witnesses; in Europe, the tables of geographical data that Amundsen had noted in his journal were recalculated to affirm its accuracy. Two observations follow from the focus on the expedition's practices: Firstly, the Antarctic landscape and its climate were vital actors in the production of geographical data in the Antarctic. Secondly, the Norwegian strategy was markedly more defensive than the black-boxed sentence about its presence at the pole suggests: It relied on a combination of techniques to ascertain, and aimed at proximity rather than a claim to have been at the pole.

This chapter argues that Anglo-German cooperation was a central element in south polar exploration at the turn of the century which formed important links and promoted the production of standardized scientific results on a global scale. However, it is important to remember that German and British endeavours were themselves integrated into national, transnational, imperial, and global entanglements. On November 7, 1904, the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) held an Antarctic meeting at the Albert Hall to welcome the Discovery expedition on their return from the south polar regions. In the first report on the German Gauss expedition, von Drygalski explained in some detail where the expedition had found the most useful equipment. Nordenskjold's visit to the RGS indicates that Antarctic exploration at the end of the nineteenth century was a global endeavour with a European centre. Keywords: Anglo-German cooperation; Antarctic exploration; global entanglements; imperial entanglements; Nordenskjold; Royal Geographical Society (RGS); standardized scientific results; transnational networks; von Drygalski

in Australia. The influence of other polar expeditions and other explorers is considered. Angst over funding and difficulties with publication are described. Postexpedition, some AAE members developed stellar careers; others sought more adventure. Some did not survive the expedition; some did not survive World War I. The fate of SY Aurora and the conservation of huts and other expedition artefacts are outlined. Throughout all the preparation, the experience and the aftermath, the constant presence is that of Douglas Mawson – his drive and his ambition, his successes and failures, his personal life, his legacy. This is a book that will be used for scholarly reference, presented as a very readable adventure. The content is factual, generally avoids bias and strays only occasionally into brief, ‘What if ...’ thought-provoking speculation related to changes in AAE plans or to crises averted or endured. It is enhanced with illustrations, maps and tables. Photographers are not credited for images used, and there are some minor errors in the text (e.g. Captain Davis visited Amundsen’s ship in Hobart the day after SY Aurora returned, not ‘Several days later ...’ and Xavier Mertz was not a biologist). In a work of this scope, however, such details do not detract from the overall quality. Antarctic enthusiasts will gain much from this addition to polar literature.