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Adrien de Gerlache

Born

in Hasselt, Belgium

August 02, 1866

Died

December 04, 1934

Genre

Antartica, Exploration

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Adrien Victor Joseph Baron de Gerlache de Gomery was a Belgian explorer and officer in the Belgian Royal Navy. He led the Belgian Antarctic expedition from 1897-1899. At the end of the 19th century there was still one big blind spot left on the world map and that was Antarctica, the continent around the South Pole. It is remarkable that a young Belgian naval officer, Adrien de Gerlache, succeeded in being the first to organise a scientific expedition to Antarctica. He outwitted the British, Americans and Scandinavians, who had much more experience with polar expeditions.

Adrien de Gerlache managed to gather an international team of young scientists, sailors and adventurers around him. "There were 24 people of 6 different nationalities on boa Adrien Victor Joseph Baron de Gerlache de Gomery was a Belgian explorer and officer in the Belgian Royal Navy. He led the Belgian Antarctic expedition from 1897-1899. At the end of the 19th century there was still one big blind spot left on the world map and that was Antarctica, the continent around the South Pole. It is remarkable that a young Belgian naval officer, Adrien de Gerlache, succeeded in being the first to organise a scientific expedition to Antarctica. He outwitted the British, Americans and Scandinavians, who had much more experience with polar expeditions.

Adrien de Gerlache managed to gather an international team of young scientists, sailors and adventurers around him. "There were 24 people of 6 different nationalities on board. Such an international crew was very unusual at the time and he was also criticised by his fellow countrymen," says Verlinden.

Two crew members would later become world-famous explorers, the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the American Frederick Cook. Amundsen was later credited with being the first man to reach the South Pole, the southernmost point on Earth. Frederick Cook may have been the first man at the North Pole, but that is not certain. "Whatever the case, the Belgian expedition was certainly Amundsen's school of learning."

Frederick Cook, who was along as a doctor, already had experience with polar voyages. It was also thanks to him that the majority of the crew survived the trip. When the Belgica ran aground in the pack ice, the crew had to spend the winter in the Antarctic in an unscheduled manner. No one had ever done that to them.

The expedition yielded a wealth of information on the fauna, flora and landscapes of both Antractica and Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of South America. The researchers also mapped part of Antarctica, filling in a missing part of the world map.

It took more than 40 years to examine all the raw data and samples that the scientists brought back. The results were published between 1901 and 1949 in a series of 9 volumes. One of the most important discoveries was that there were land animals in Antarctica, the largest being the wingless mosquito Belgica antarctica. ...more

Combine Editions
Adrien de Gerlache’s books

Average rating: 4.09 · 11 ratings · 0 reviews · 13 distinct works

	Fifteen months in the Antarctic 3.60 avg rating — 5 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Belgian Antarctic Expedition Under the Command of A. de Gerlache de Gomery. Summary Report of the Voyage of the "Belgica" in 1897-1898-1899 4.33 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2015 — 16 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Les Glaces: Glace De Mer Et Banquises 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Belgium in War Time 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2015 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Résultats du voyage du S.Y. Belgica en 1897-1898-1899: Sous le commandement de A. de Gerlache de Go by Adrien de Gerlache, Belgium, Belgica (Ship) (Creator), Expedition Antarctique Belge (1897-1899 (Creator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 106 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	L'Enchaînement des Variations Climatiques (Classic Reprint) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Die Antarktischen Eisverhältnisse 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Quinze mois dans l'Antarctique: L'Exp�dition de la Belgica (1897-1899) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Résultats du voyage du S.Y. Belgica en 1897-1898-1899: Sous le commandement de A. de Gerlache de Go by Adrien de Gerlache, Belgium Commission De La Belgica (Creator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Résultats du voyage du S.Y. Belgica en 1897-1898-1899: Sous le commandement de A. de Gerlache de Go by Adrien de Gerlache, Belgium Commission De La Belgica (Creator) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars