University of Tartu celebrates the traditional Day of Gustavus Adolphus
On Friday, 6 November, the Day of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, is held in Tartu to mark the 388th anniversary of the founding of the university. The programme of the event includes lectures, placing flowers at monuments and a free concert.
In 1632, Gustavus II Adolphus signed the foundation decree of Academia Dorpatensis (Academia Gustaviana). The day dedicated to that event starts at 15:00 with lectures in English in Jakobi 2, lecture hall 114. First Kaidi Kriisa, Lecturer in Latin at the College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, speaks about the legacy of Gustavus Adolphus in early modern Tartu. “Naturally, the legacy of Gustavus Adolphus is not limited solely to the University of Tartu. The lecture aims to give a comprehensive overview of his importance in Tartu in the early modern period,” Kriisa said.
Then Christer Haglund, Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia, gives a talk about the Swedish Day and the Finland-Swedish traditions. “As Finland Swedes, we are probably the best treated ethnic minority in the world. We are lucky to have the freedom to observe the celebrations that are important for Swedes – even when living in Finland,” Haglund said.
At 17:00, flowers are placed at the monument to Johan Skytte, the first chancellor of the University of Tartu, and at the monument of Gustavus II Adolphus.
At 18:00, there is a concert of arias and duets by Claudio Monteverdi, Henry Purcell and Georg Friedrich Händel in the university assembly hall. Admission is free. The soloists, soprano Maria Valdmaa and mezzo-soprano Tuuri Dede, are accompanied by ensemble Floridante.
The event is organised by the University of Tartu, the Department of Scandinavian Studies of the University of Tartu, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden to Estonia, and the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia. The Ambassador of Sweden, His Excellency Mr Mikael Eriksson will also participate in the Day of Gustavus Adolphus.
Further information:
Madis Kanarbik, Honorary Consul of Sweden in Tartu, +372 504 6570, madis.kanarbik [ät] norden.ee (in Estonian, English and Swedish)
Daniel Sävborg, Professor of Scandinavian Studies, University of Tartu, +46 706 034 235, +372 737 6250, daniel.savborg [ät] ut.ee (in English and Swedish)