Philatelic Panorama of Some Belgian Antarctic Marine Contributions, 19th–21st Centuries: From Belgica to Princess Elisabeth

Belgium has been interested in and involved in Antarctic studies for over a century. The name of Adrien de Gerlache is indelibly linked with that of his ship, the Belgica, the first vessel to ever spend a winter trapped in the ice of the southern continent. The former Norwegian sealer-whaler had a multinational crew of scientists and sailors. If it brought back a trove of information, it also did a tale of hardships and fears. The postal administration of Belgium—and to a more modest extent that of Romania and Poland—have illustrated the expedition, its anniversaries, and the further research carried out by Belgians in Antarctica. The Belgica was sunk by the German invasion forces in World War II. Efforts are underway to refloat the vessel and make it into a museum, as was done, e.g., for the Fram.