The director of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forests, Snow and Landscape WSL, Professor Konrad Steffen, was known throughout Switzerland and abroad as a communicative, open and factually highly competent pro in the field of glacier research, polar regions and climate. Time and again he had travelled to the polar regions to conduct climate research there. Last Saturday, August 8, 2020, the scientist and experienced polar expert was killed during an expedition in Greenland.
Konrad Steffen was on an expedition at the Swiss Camp, the Swiss research station in Greenland, according to the media reports. According to the Greenlandic newspaper Sermitisiaq, a message was received by the police in Ilulissat at 5.26pm on Saturday afternoon that a man was missing northeast of Ilulissat. However, a quick search found no trace of the missing person. The search was extended until noon on Sunday. Authorities found signs of an accident. “We found evidence that the missing person had fallen into a crack in the ice sheet,” said Brian Thomsen of Ilulissat police. “Probably an accident happened and the person died,” he told Sermitisaq.
Professor Konrad Steffen had been director of the WSL since 2012 and was only re-elected last year. The 68-year-old Swiss-US dual citizen began his research career with a doctoral thesis in 1984 at ETH Zurich. In the course of time, professorships followed at the universities of Colorado, at the EPFL in Lausanne and at the ETH in Zurich. His passion was the polar regions, especially the research camp in Greenland “Swiss Camp”, where he had repeatedly carried out and supervised research work himself. “The poles of the earth are of greater importance for the climatic equilibrium of our planet. More research and knowledge about how they work is urgently needed,” Konrad Steffen wrote on his WSL page. “That’s why I travel every May to West Greenland for the swiss camp meteorological base station, where our team has been collecting data on snow, ice and the atmosphere with numerous instruments since 1990.”
He was regarded as an extraordinarily friendly and open person who was able to explain the complex issues of climatology in an understandable way. “With Konrad Steffen, we are losing a unique, generous and committed person. We are all very sad in the ETH area,” says ETH Council President Michael Hengartner. His position at the WSL will be taken over on an interim basis by his colleague Dr. Christoph Hegg. Konrad Steffen is survived by a wife and two adult children.
Dr Michael Wenger, PolarJournal
We send our thoughts, love and prayes to the family of Konrad Steffen.
He was a dear friend in Boulder, Colorado and we have kept in toich over Facebook.
Elaine and Jon Krupnick
What!? I told about him yesterday that he was a good capacity in Arctic Research and good friend of Greenland. It’s a big loss. Sending my condolences to his family and Swiss colleages. Rest In Peace.
Dear friend
since our meeting at the Arctic Circle in Reykjavik in 2016, we have traveled the world tougher with Paolo, promoting photographic exhibitions and the Forum on Climate Change.
It was exciting, priceless, great. The November expedition to Namibia was ready …
We can’t believe it.
The best, the greatest and the legends suddenly go away, you will always be in our memories.
Marina
Our hearts are immeasurable saddened – An honor to consider him as family. Denise and Rob
A respected scientist, colleague and friend, he will be missed by the polar community. Only just over a month ago we were giving papers at the ICPECP conference online. His work will be the foundation of future sea level rise research.
A very great human being and top scientist who was a good friend…. A great loss to the world….
I worked for Koni at the University of Colorado and found him to be a the epitome of a true scientist in every way. He was an intrepid explorer who conducted his own research and “walked the talk.” He was passionate about his work and his wine, living life to the fullest. He was also rigorous about his work and gained the respect of all who worked with him. I am proud to say I knew him well.
Getting a news of somebody’s death is always a disheartening experience. But when it comes to the news of late Stephen Conrad killed in accident, it is really agonizing.
Our hearts go to all his fraternity and family members whom we never mean to concern.
His contribution towards climate restoration initiative will be remembered by us.
Let his ultimate sacrifice be the guiding light for all the foot soldiers in the pursuit of climate restoration.
I met Koni at Brussels, Arctic Futures, 2013. He was very nice and gentle and continued to be every time we met again. I have very good memories of Koni and feel very sad for such a loss.
Koni was a Greenland Ice Sheet/climate research pioneer, an amazing and highly inspiring scientist who did much to encourage early-career people including myself some years ago. He had a huge personality, and was a pleasure to know. His work was tremendously valuable, and he made a real difference to our understanding of Greenland climate matters. He was also a greaT communicator too. Very talented and hardworking, and a fantastic administrator as well as a top-level scientist. I feel honoured to have had the chance to work with him. He is very sadly missed.
What a terrible loss. My heart-felt condolences to Koni’s family, friends and colleagues. I’ll always fondly remember my brief time with him in Antarctica.