Loewe, Fritz Philipp

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Fritz Loewe was educated at Koenigliches Joachimsthalsches Gymnasium 1904-1913; he then studied law and languages in Grenoble and Berlin 1913-1914. Following war service he returned to Berlin, taking up geography, physics, oceanography and meteorology 1919-1923, gaining a first class Ph.D. He participated in a number meteorological research projects during the 1920s and in 1929 became a member of Alfred Wegener's expedition to Greenland in 1930, becoming acting leader upon Wegener's disappearance. Losing his position in 1934 due to Nazi persecution, Loewe fled Germany with his family and initially worked at the Scott Polar Research Laboratory in Cambridge 1934-1937. Contact with the University of Melbourne's Vice Chancellor Sir Raymond Priestley led to his emigration to Australia where he founded Australia's first University meteorology department. His time at the University of Melbourne was largely devoted to the establishment of the department and teaching, however he was involved in a number of research expeditions to Antarctica, including the aborted 1947 Wyatt Earp expedition and the 1950-1951 Commandant Charcot expedition where he wintered in Adelie Land.