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The centenary of the Belgica
A committee for the Centenary of the Belgica has been set up to
co-ordinate the various events being organised to mark the occasion:
- 16th August 1997 (anniversary of the day of departure
of the Belgica): courtesy visit to Antwerp of a Polish research
vessel, the Arctowski, with a delegation from the Polish Science
Academy (received by the townspeople of Antwerp and the Royal
Zoological Society).
- September 1997: Issue of a commemorative stamp by
the Post Office.
- October 1997 to May 1998: Exhibition "The last
continent" organised on the site of Fifty Years by the
Euroculture association.
- October 1997: Departure of the expedition "South
Through the Pole 1997-98".
- December 1997: Ascent of Mount Vinson, the highest
summit in the Antarctic (5140 m) by a team of 10 young Belgians
including the oldest son of Bernard de Gerlache (grandson of
Adrien and son of Gaston).
- January and February 1998: Exhibition "Navexpo
98: polar navigation" in the abbey at Dieleghem (Jette,
Brussels) by the Royal Circle of Georges Lecointe and funded
by Navidoc.
- May 1998 (14th -16th): Scientific symposium of the
Centenary of the Belgica (chaired by Professor Hugo Decleir,
VUB) at the Academy palace, under the patronage of King Albert
II.
- May 1998 (16th): Presentation of the five-yearly prize
of the Belgica.
- May 1998 (2nd week): colloquium on ocean hydrodynamics
(the ice covered seas) at the university of Liège.
Other planned events or publications
- Publication of the minutes of the "Belgica" symposium.
- Publication in October 1997 by Labor (Brussels) of the album
"The Antarctic and Belgium, 100 Years of History, Research
and Mysteries" (Michel Brent)
- Re-publication of a new edition by Labor (Brussels) of the
book by Adrien de Gerlache "Fifteen months in the Antarctic",
which appeared for the first time in 1902.
- Various events dedicated to the hundredth anniversary of
the Belgica organised abroad, including: A symposium on the
Centennial of the Belgica Antarctic Expedition, in the Byrd
Polar Research Center, at Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
and Belgica Colloquium, at the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw.
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