The German-French AWI-IPEV Arctic Research Base is located in the settlement Ny-Ålesund on the west coast of Spitsbergen (79 °N, 12 °E). This facility is operated jointly by the German and French polar research institutes, the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) and the Institut Polaire Français Paul Emile Victor (IPEV). It serves as a modern multi-disciplinary observatory and field base for atmospheric sciences, geosciences, and biological sciences. AWI-IPEV-Base is part of the Ny-Ålesund International Arctic Research and Monitoring Facility, which comprises installations from 15 research institutions from 10 nations. This short paper sketches the development of the German Koldewey Station, which was merged with the French Rabot Station and Corbel Station to form the AWIPEV-Base and describes the facilities of today, before the upcoming International Polar Year (IPY) 2007-2008.