Up to well into the 20th century, research shipping was strictly a male domain. In the early days of the Federal Republic of Germany, sayings such as "a woman on board brings bad luck" were still to be heard. At that time, the roles were clearly divided between the sexes and it was a time when it was not easy for women to break out of these roles and pursue their own desires. This called for pioneers who dared to do so with courage, tenacity and passion – strong and assertive women. And Irmtraud Hempel was one of them who led the way.
Born in 1924, the doctor of biology worked on krill larvae in the 1970s. There was a snag, however, in that she always received the samples in the laboratory, after the men had brought them back from their expeditions. This naturally limited the young researcher's opportunities for discovery. And so her desire grew to be there herself, to see the fishing grounds and habitats with her own eyes and to examine the larvae directly on the ship.
And then the time came. Women fought for their first places on ships and went to sea just like men did. This was also the case for Irmtraut Hempel, whose first voyages were alongside her husband Gotthilf Hempel, the founding director of AWI, who supported her wholeheartedly in making her dream of scientific work at sea come true. Although she did not know precisely what everyday life in this male-dominated world would be like at first, she soon realised how respectful the atmosphere was on the long voyages – and, above all, how insightful the trips to countless destinations between the Arctic and Antarctic turned out to be.
In addition to these expeditions, she also contributed to the scientific editing of numerous specialist publications. Among other things, she was co-editor of Biologie der Polarmeere (Biology of the Polar Seas), the Berichte der Deutschen Wissenschaftlichen Kommission für Meeresforschung (Reports of the German Scientific Commission for Marine Research) and the journal Polar Biology.
In addition, Irmtraut Hempel was committed to supporting international students and their families at the University of Kiel over the course of many years. In 1999, she was honoured with the university's Silver Pin of Honour for her voluntary work.
She was active as a pioneer in many fields. Now she has embarked on her final journey. At the beginning of September, she passed away at her home in Molfsee near Kiel shortly before her 101st birthday.
With her passing, we have lost a woman who courageously set an example – as a biologist and colleague who brought people from all over the world together.
We will cherish her memory with gratitude.
Alfred Wegener Institute,
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research