Visiting scientists from German-speaking Europe made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge about New Zealand in the period prior to 1900. Probably the most important individual among them was the geologist Ferdinand Hochstetter (1829-1884), who came to New Zealand in December 1858 with the Austrian Novara expedition (1857-1859) and spent nine months conducting pioneering geological fieldwork in various parts of the country. This volume brings together a series of essays, written by experts from five different countries, which examine various aspects of the German-speaking scientific connection with New Zealand, with a particular emphasis on Hochstetter and the visit of the Novara to New Zealand.