Overview

• Federal and Bavarian ministers gathered on July 19, 2025 to celebrate the Deutsche Wetterdienst summit station’s inauguration on July 19, 1900, marking 125 years atop the 2,962 m Zugspitze.
• Aside from a roughly three-month pause at the end of World War II, the station has maintained an unbroken record of meteorological observations since its opening.
• Around 2019, the post transitioned to largely automated data collection, while weather observers continue to manually record precipitation and snow depth.
• The station’s diverse dataset—including temperature, pressure, wind parameters, volcanic ash, Saharan dust and trace radioactivity—remains vital for public safety forecasts, climate model validation and free-atmosphere research.
• Challenging conditions at nearly 3 000 m demand extensive maintenance and observer commitment, and the site also plays a key role in shaping Bavarian transport and environmental policy and calibrating satellite sensors.