The polar regions of our Planet Earth are of great importance in modern global change research and in the scientific assessment of potential climate changes and their impacts. German researchers have been participating in international polar research for many years, and since 1980 the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) has symbolised Germany's interest in the polar and marine sciences. The AWI is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres (HGF) and provides a major contribution to global environmental research, in conjunction with other HGF centres as well as university and non-university research institutions. Modern polar and marine research requires an intensive effort in terms of technical methods and the investment of research time, as well as close collaboration with other national and international research institutions devoted to polar and marine sciences. (orig.)Available from TIB Hannover: ZO 6236(1998/99) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman