Celebrating Mercator Brussels 5 March 2012

First Day of the European Surveyor and Geoinformation – Mercator Day - A Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE) Celebration

Brussels, Belgium 5 March 2012

Gerardus Mercator, born at Rupelmonde (present day Belgium) on 5th March 1512 was a remarkable man, a man in his times and provided solutions to his times. He was a surveyor, a cartographer, an engraver, an instrument maker who is best remembered by the Profession for the map projection that bears his name till this day, the Mercator Projection. It is fitting that the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors (CLGE) has chosen to celebrate the First “Day of the European Surveyor and Geoinformation” on the 500th anniversary of Mercator’s birth, on 5th March 2012 in Brussels, Belgium.

The event was held at the Conference Centre of the Royal Military Academy in Brussels in the presence of the Honourable Minister of State and President of the Belgian Mapping Agency, Phillippe Busquin. In his opening address Jean-Yves Pirlot, President of CLGE outlined the rationale for the launch of the “Day of the European Surveyor and Geoinformation” as well as the Mercator Day Celebration.

General Major Ir. Harry Vindevogel, Commanding Officer and Rector or the Belgian Royal Military Academy and Mr Axel Annaert, Vice President of the Belgian Chamber of Land Surveyors welcomed all delegates and participants. CheeHai Teo, President of FIG who joined the celebration in Brussels, spoke at the opening segment and was honoured to jointly unveil CLGE’s Mercator Day Poster together with the Secretary-General of CLGE, Michelle Camilleri.

Anders Rhodin’s (Trimble) address was read to the audience who also listened to the Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency, Carlo des Dorides, Prof. Dr. Er. Etienne Rooms who spoke on “Mercator, a man for all seasons in the Netherlands as well as in Europe”; Prof. Dr. Philippe de Maeyer on “Mercator, his life, his legacy” and Dr. Dipl. Ings. Jens Riecken on “Mercator and the Challenges for the Modern European Surveyor”. Before Jean-Yves Pirlot closed the delightful afternoon with his closing address and the unveiling of the CLGE Mercator Poster, Jan de Graeve, Honorary Member of FIG and Director of the FIG Permanent Institution on the History of Surveying and Measurement spoke about Mercator who is not only a cartographer but also a surveyor.

CLGE President Jean-Yves Pirlot at the opening	CLGE President Jean-Yves Pirlot together with the Secretary-General of CLGE, Michelle Camilleri

16 March 2012