The influential German geophysicist and polar explorer Georg Balthasar von Neumayer (1826-1909) founded the Flagstaff Observatory for Geophysics, Magnetism and Nautical Science in Melbourne in 1857, of which he was director until 1864. After his return to Europe, Neumayer was director of the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg, which he had also founded, from 1876 to 1903. Since his main interest was south polar research, he was also chairman of the International Polar Commission from 1879. In 1901, Neumayer undertook the first German South Polar expedition to Antarctica with the research vessel Gauss. In the same year, he published his work 'Auf zum Südpol' ('To the South Pole'). In Neumayer's honor, the research station of the Federal Republic of Germany in Antarctica was named after him (Neumayer Station).