Discovery of Franz Josef Land

Date: August 30, 1873 • Location: Franz Josef Land, International

Austrian explorers Julius von Payer and Karl Weyprecht discover the archipelago of Franz Josef Land in the Arctic Sea.

Julius Johannes Ludovicus Ritter von Payer, ennobled Ritter von Payer in 1876, was an officer of the Austro-Hungarian Army, mountaineer, arctic explorer, cartographer, painter, and professor at the Theresian Military Academy. He is chiefly known for the Austro-Hungarian North Pole expedition in 1872–1874 and the discovery of Franz Josef Land.