To the Antarctic at Antwerp’s MAS museum tells the story of Belgian polar pioneer Adrien de Gerlache and his crew, who set off for the South Pole on the ship Belgica for a scientific expedition 127 years ago. They became stuck in the ice and had to spend the winter there.
In 1897, Antarctica was still a blind spot on the world map. Geographical societies called for exploration of the area, and explorer and army officer in the De Gerlache responded.
“He set off into unknown territory with a crew of about 20 people,” says curator Waander Devillé. “It was an international company including Norwegians. There were sailors on board the Belgica, and also scientists.”
The original intention was to reach the southernmost point of Antarctica. “They didn’t succeed in that, but they did make other important discoveries,” says Devillé “They mapped part of the Antarctic coast and they brought back hitherto unknown animal species with them.”
To survive, the crew had to eat penguin and seal meat, among other things. Some members died during the expedition, and for 15 months, nothing was heard from the explorers. Eventually, the crew was able to free the ship from the ice and return home.
The journey was not only a physical ordeal but a mental one too. “That was unimaginable,” says Devillé. “For each of the crew members, it was a psychologically tough event. We explain that here through diary excerpts.”
The exhibition also looks at the people who followed in the footsteps of these pioneers and examines how the continent is changing because of global warming. It opens on Friday 21 June and runs until 3 November.