The Jungfraujoch: History of the High-Altitude Research Station, 1922–1952

This book traces the history of the Jungfraujoch research station, established in 1931 at one of the most remarkable scientific sites in the world.

This book traces the history of the Jungfraujoch research station, established in 1931 at one of the most remarkable scientific sites in the world. Conceived as part of the Jungfraujoch railroad project, the station embodied the ambition to conduct research at the highest altitude in Europe. Emerging from the collaboration between the Swiss Society of Natural Scientists and the Swiss Alpine Club, and later supported by international partners from Germany, Austria, France, Great Britain, Belgium, and the US the station soon became a symbol of scientific cooperation under challenging circumstances. Through changing political, economic, and institutional contexts—from the interwar years to the founding of the Swiss National Science Foundation in 1952—the book reconstructs how the Jungfraujoch evolved into a center for atmospheric, physical, and environmental research. It situates the station as both a pioneering scientific enterprise and a landmark in the development of organized research in Switzerland.