Vortrag: Der legendäre Serum Run in Alaska

10,000 Kilometers Through the Freezing Cold: The Story of a Race Against Time

Alaska (USA), winter 1925: In the remote port city of Nome, a diphtheria outbreak threatens to turn into a catastrophe. The life-saving antitoxin is unusable, and supplies are over a thousand kilometers away. There are no roads, the harbor is frozen over—and airplanes are not a reliable option under these conditions. How can help arrive in time?

Anuschka Dinter-Mathei’s talk takes you on a journey through one of the most dramatic rescue missions of the 20th century: the Serum Run to Nome. In an unprecedented relay, sled dog mushers and their teams transport the serum through freezing cold, storms, and life-threatening terrain.

The talk vividly recounts the individual stages between Nenana and Nome, highlighting special moments and challenges—such as when Henry Ivanoff was held up by a reindeer, or when Gunnar Kaasen, in temperatures around minus 50 degrees, could rely only on his lead dog, Balto. And what about the Norwegian-American dog sled driver Leonhard Seppala?

At the same time, the evening offers a glimpse behind the legend: What decisions were made? What role did the knowledge of Indigenous mushers play? And how did a medical emergency become a story that continues to fascinate us to this day?

Admission is €9. You can register here.