Cornelia Lüdecke, PhD

What’s the work that you do?

I am analyzing unpublished and published materials of German expeditions to Svalbard, Greenland and Antarctica. With colleagues from England, Estonia, Russia, and the US I have written books and papers about expeditions to both Polar Regions. Besides that, I enjoy giving talks about polar history on various occasions as well as on polar cruises. I founded and led the SCAR History Action Group which later merged to become the Humanities and Social Science Group. With these groups I managed to connect PhD students with reputable scientists providing valuable input for their work and founding their international networks.

What keeps you going?

I enjoy finding exciting material in archives and connecting information from books and papers to find a total new view on expeditions. And it is great to work from home, because a lot of historical material is already available digitalized. Besides I feel very content to share my results in publications or fascinating talks, because nobody else has the information that I have discovered in my reseach.

What’s your message to the world?

If you can do what you enjoy, you will be happy and can become one of the rare experts of a special field. Sometimes you may be too specialized and cannot find a job but perhaps you will find another way to survive, for instance within a family. In this case, continue your work at home, even with little babies. It will take some more time to finish a project, but there is no deadline and no restriction what to do where and when and you will have time enough for your own plans, because you are totally free in your decisions.