1597day.year
Willem Barentsz
(1550 - 1597)
Dutch cartographer and explorer
Dutch cartographer and explorer
A Dutch navigator and cartographer who led pioneering voyages into the Arctic in search of the Northeast Passage.
Born in 1550 in Terschelling, Barentsz became an experienced pilot for the Dutch East India Company.
Between 1594 and 1597, he led three expeditions into the Arctic, aiming to discover a northern sea route to Asia.
He charted the coasts of Spitsbergen and Bear Island, which bear historical names from his voyages.
On his third voyage, he and his crew were stranded on Nova Zembla and survived the winter before returning.
Barentsz's maps and logs greatly expanded European knowledge of the polar regions, and the Barents Sea is named in his honor.
1597
Willem Barentsz