University of Tartu celebrates the Day of Gustavus Adolphus

On Monday, 6 November, the University of Tartu celebrates the Day of Gustavus Adolphus, the King of Sweden and founder of the university of Tartu, and the 385^th anniversary of Academia Gustaviana. The programme includes lectures, a Baroque concert and an exhibition.

“The traditional Day of Gustavus Adolphus emphasises the importance of education, aspiration for higher ideals and cooperation. These important principles of the Universitas have remained essentially the same over the centuries,” said Kristina Mullamaa, head of the UT Department of Scandinavian Studies.

At 14:00, the exhibition “Travellers’ portraits” is opened in Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies (Lossi 36).

At 15:00, professor of literature at Uppsala University and director of Uppsala University Library Lars Burman delivers a lecture “From cottages to great palaces. Four careers in the 17th century“. This is followed by a lecture by Kristi Viiding, senior research fellow of Under and Tuglas Literature Centre of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, “Shaping history through poetry: Friedrich Menius' Latin and German epicedia for Gustavus Adolphus”. The lectures take place at Jakobi 2-114.

At 17:20, flowers are placed at Johan Skytte monument on Toomemägi and at the monument of Gustav II Adolf near the university’s main building.

The day ends with the Baroque music concert, which starts at 18:00 in the assembly hall. The programme “Queen Christina of Sweden and her time. Musical bridges in the 17^th-century Europe” is performed by Pirjo Jonas (soprano) and a Baroque music ensemble including Meelis Orgse (baroque viola), Villu Vihermäe (viola da gamba, baroque cello), Kristo Käo (theorbo, baroque quitar). Brilliant music by Corelli, Monteverdi, Purcell, Baltzar and other Baroque composers will be played. The concert is free for all.

Celebrations of the Day of Gustavus Adolphus and the 385^th anniversary of Academia Gustaviana are organised by the University of Tartu, UT Department of Scandinavian Studies, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden to Estonia and the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia.

Additional information: Kady Sõstar, UT Senior Specialist for Protocol, 511 9188, kady.sostar@ut.ee