Henryk Arctowski

Henryk Arctowski , 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 onJuly 1871 to the Artzt family, whose ancestors came to Poland in the 17th century from Wrttemberg. As a pupil in the Germanoccupied part of Poland, he was prosecuted for speaking Polish in school, so his parents sent him to Lige. In 1888 he started studying mathematics, physics and astronomy at the University of Lige, and chemistry and geology at the Sorbonne. Upon completion in 1893, he returned to Lige 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.

Source: Wikipedia