Winter has arrived in Germany. Thick snowflakes, black ice and freezing temperatures - winter weather has some regions firmly in its grip. Yet Germany is in the temperate climate zone. We are not used to particularly hot or particularly cold weather. Several centimetres of fresh snow can quickly lead to snow chaos across the country. Even if snow and frost paralyse us for a few days a year, extreme winter weather is usually the exception in many places and is over again after a few days. The weather conditions in the polar regions are completely different.

The icy worlds of our planet seem to be from another time. Polar regions are cold deserts. Temperatures of -40 to -70°C make the polar zones, consisting of the Arctic in the north and the Antarctic in the south, two of the most extreme and fascinating regions on our planet. Despite their icy conditions, they harbour a diversity of life and play a crucial role in the global climate system.

The "eternal ice" has always fascinated people, precisely because of its impassability and the hostile conditions that prevail there. But the ice landscapes of our planet are under threat: climate change is causing the poles and glaciers to melt. The frozen regions of our world are not only breathtakingly beautiful, but also vital for a multitude of living creatures. Both polar regions are of central importance for understanding climate change. Changes in these regions have global implications, including rising sea levels and changing weather patterns. Protecting and conserving the polar regions is therefore critical to the health of our planet and requires international co-operation and commitment.

We present three teNeues illustrated books dedicated to our world's icy landscapes, portraying their beauty and significance in breathtaking photographs. The books are not only impressive photographic journeys through the icy beauty of nature, but also a call to actively protect these environments.

Greenland

In "Greenland", Fokion Zissiadis shows us the facets of Greenland's diverse beauty in varied and high-quality photography. In his impressive photographs, the nature photographer presents formations of rock, water, snow and ice which, in combination with the interplay of light and shadow, unfold an unrivalled beauty.

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Animals on land, on water and in the air appear sometimes in long shots and sometimes in breathtaking close-ups. Fokion Zissiadis also captures the inhabitants and their settlements. The impressive close-ups of polar bears, aerial shots of beautiful structures created from land, water and ice and the authentic portraits of indigenous people and their living conditions make "Greenland" a unique illustrated book. The indigenous population of the Inuit but also the dangers to Greenland's nature are highlighted.

In XXL format (41.5 x 31.5 cm), with a special cover material and silver hot-foil embossing - matching the snow and the vast icy landscapes of Greenland - the appearance alone is a work of art. The high-quality photographs appear in a size of up to 83 cm in width. The images are accompanied by a very personal interview in which Fokion Zissiadis describes how and why Greenland became the subject of his work.

Ice is Black

Nature photographer and activist Laurent Baheux has captured the most beautiful ice landscapes on our planet and their fascinating animal life in breathtaking black and white photographs in his book "Ice is Black".

From majestic glaciers to frozen plains, the French photographer portrays creatures and landscapes that seem to have fallen out of time. His images are close-up scenes taken in the remote regions of Norway, Iceland and Canada.  The images show polar bears with their cubs, foxes frolicking in the snow and seals in icy waters.

Baheux's photographs are not only ambassadors of the moving beauty of nature, but also call for the permanent protection and preservation of these magnificent icy landscapes and the creatures that depend on them.

The Nansen Photographs

An illustrated book about a breathtaking adventure: Fridtjof Nansen's legendary Arctic expedition. At the end of the 19th century, the Norwegian Arctic explorer Fridtjof Nansen undertook a pioneering expedition that was to become a milestone in science. The voyage of the Fram into the Arctic ice was fundamental to modern oceanography and revolutionised the organisation and technology of Arctic expeditions.

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Fridtjof Nansen wanted to reach the North Pole with the specially constructed ship Fram. North of Siberia, he allowed himself to be trapped by the pack ice and drift - only to be disappointed to realise that the Fram was not approaching the North Pole. Together with Fredrik Hjalmar Johansen, he therefore switched to skis and began the incredibly hard march to the longed-for destination, which became a race against time.

The illustrated book "The Nansen Photographs" portrays this expedition using original photos and diaries, both from Nansen himself and from his crew members. They illustrate in a touching, sometimes dismaying way how the participants went about their daily lives and carried out their research; the conflicts they faced and how they ultimately brought the daring endeavour to a successful conclusion.