Belgian Antarctic Expedition, 1957–58
Belgium was one of the 12 countries that initially negotiated and signed the Antarctic Treaty (Washington, 1959).
The first Belgian expedition of scientific nature was led by Adrien de Gerlache aboard the Belgica. The expedition involved over wintering and spanned from 1897 to 1899. The findings of the expedition were put down as series of Résultats de voyage de la Belgica (in sixty-five volumes) which was commissioned and published by the Commission de la Belgica under the aegis of the Royal Academy.
The International Geophysical Year of 1957-58, required the establishment of a geophysical network throughout Antarctica. Belgium, along with ten other countries agreed to take part in this scientific exercise and established a research station named Base Roi Baudouin, on a floating ice shelf off the coast of Dronning Maud Land, a virtually unexplored part of Antarctica at that time. The station was set up on the first Belgian expedition (1957-59) to Antarctica led by Gaston de Gerlache, Adrien de Gerlache's son.
In the following two years, two more expeditions were sent to the Antarctic, i.e. 2nd and 3rd expeditions. The Belgian polar base was permanently manned for the three expeditions, until late 1961 when the National Centre for Polar Research could not raise the funds needed to continue the Belgian Antarctic program.
In partnership with the Netherlands, the first Belgo-Dutch expedition (1963-65) not only reached the South Pole but also established a new Roi Baudoin Base, less than 100 meters from the old one which had been buried in snow.
Twice for 3-year periods (1958–1961 and 1964–1966) the Roi Baudoin Base fulfilled its role as a geophysical observatory and as an operating base for geographical, glaciological, and geological mapping of the neighboring coastal and mountain areas. After the closure of the base in 1967, three further summer expeditions were sent in cooperation with South Africa, but in 1971 all governmental support for Antarctic research was temporarily halted.
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