Henryk Arctowski
| Henryk Arctowski | |
|---|---|
Arctowski in Washington, March, 1940
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| Born |
July 21, 1871 Warsaw, Russian Poland (present-day Warsaw, Poland) |
| Died | February 21, 1958 (aged 86) Bethesda, Maryland, United States |
| Resting place | |
| Nationality | Poland |
| Fields | oceanography, geology, geophysics |
| Institutions | |
| Known for | in charge of scientific observations on the Belgian Antarctic Expedition |
| Spouse | Arian Jane Addy |
Henryk Arctowski (15 July 1871 – 21 February 1958; Polish pronunciation: [ˈxɛnrɨk art͡sˈtɔfskʲi]), born Henryk Artzt, was a Polish scientist and explorer. Living in exile for a large part of his life, he was one of the first persons to winter in Antarctica and became an internationally renowned meteorologist. He was instrumental in restoring Polish independence after the First World War. Several geographical features, the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station and a medal of the National Academy of Sciences are named in his honor.
Henryk Arctowski was born in Warsaw on 15 July 1871 to the Artzt family, whose ancestors came to Poland in the 17th century from Württemberg. As a pupil in the German-occupied part of Poland, he was prosecuted for speaking Polish in school, so his parents sent him to Liège. In 1888 he started studying mathematics, physics and astronomy at the University of Liège, and chemistry and geology at the Sorbonne. Upon completion in 1893, he returned to Liège where he worked in the laboratory of professor Spring in the chemistry department until 1869. In 1893, to emphasize his Polishness, Artzt asked the Belgian government for permission to change his name to Arctowski.
In 1895 he applied to participate in the Belgian Antarctic Expedition, the first expedition to spend the winter in the Antarctic. Shipmates included Roald Amundsen and Frederick A. Cook. He coordinated the scientific work and performed physical observations himself, assisted by Antoni Bolesław Dobrowolski.
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