A new German polar research station was inaugurated on Saturday, 21 February within the framework of International Polar Year. Neumayer Station III is located on the Ekstroem ice shelf in Dronning Maud Land in the Antarctic. Nine people ensure the year-round operation of the station, which serves as a base for scientific observatories, as well as a logistic centre for inland expeditions and polar aircraft. It was erected by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI).