Environmental measurements were undertaken by Reinhold Reiter (1920–1998) around Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the Bavarian Alps for 4 decades. This included measurement sites on the Zugspitze and Wank mountains as well as the use of an instrumented cable car between the Eibsee and the Zugspitze summit. The Mount Wank site operated between 1 August 1972 and 31 December 1983, and the hourly data values – including atmospheric electricity quantities – for this site have been recovered.

Gauß, Weber and Humboldt initiated the systematic observation of the Earth’s magnetic field in Germany. The first geomagnetic observatories were installed in Munich, Berlin and Wilhelmshaven. The Potsdam Magnetic Observatory was officially opened on 1 January 1890. Due to anthropogenic disturbances, a sub-observatory was installed in 1907 in the village of Seddin. The launch of the DC-powered service of the Berlin suburban railway system in 1928 terminated the observations in Potsdam.

This article describes the international seismological cooperation at the start of the last century and how this cooperation changed due to WWI. These changes were the direct reasons leading to the foundation of the Deutsche Seismologische Gesellschaft (DSG) in 1922, which changed its name to the Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft (DGG) 2 years later. It then describes the further development of the relationship between German geophysicists and their colleagues until the start of WWII.

Kakioka Magnetic Observatory (KMO) has been monitoring the geomagnetic field and electric field at Kakioka, Japan, since 1913. It has promoted a variety of observations and research activities. In 1972, KMO developed the Kakioka Automatic Standard Magnetometer (KASMMER) system, which enabled them to provide geomagnetic field data of the highest quality. Today, KMO operates a network of observatories in Japan and maintains the observations with the longest history in East Asia.

Lerwick Observatory in Shetland has recently celebrated its centenary. Measurements of atmospheric electricity were made at the site between 1925 and 1984. The instruments and equipment used for this are discussed and the value of the measurements obtained assessed. A major aspect of the atmospheric electricity work was explaining the dramatic changes which followed the nuclear weapons test period. Although less well known, there are strong parallels with the discovery of the ozone hole.