University celebrated its 393rd anniversary

The University of Tartu was founded on 25 October 393 years ago. This year, the anniversary was marked by memorial ceremonies, a concert and other events.

On Friday, 24 October, an English seminar took place at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies by political ecologist and a promoter of degrowth in Estonia Maiko Mathiesen and Counsellor of Sustainable Development and Green Transition of Tallinn University of Technology Helen Sooväli-Sepping. The opening words were by Ambassador of Sweden Charlotte Wrangberg.

In the evening, flowers were placed at the monument to Johan Skytte, the initiator of the founding of the university and the first chancellor of the University of Tartu, and at the monument to King Gustavus II Adolphus. Ambassador of Sweden Charlotte Wrangberg also participated in the ceremony.

A concert “Timeless Baroque“ took place at the university’s assembly hall – accordionist Henri Zibo performed works of J. S. Bach, D. Scarlatti and A. Vivaldi. On Saturday, 25 October, there was a guided tour at the exhibition “Signs of Power” at the University of Tartu Art Museum (curators Ken Ird and Lecturer in Political Thought and Cultural History of Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies David Ilmar Lepasaar Beecher).

Next events:

On Saturday, 1 November, at 14:00, there is a guided tour (in Estonian) at the exhibition “Invisible city. 800 years of the city of Tartu” at the University of Tartu Museum (Lossi 25) and on Toome Hill. The tour marks the 400th anniversary of the birth of military engineer Erik Dahlbergh, Chancellor of Academia Gustavo-Carolina and Governor-General of Livonia. Participants can take a closer look at the copy of the maquette of the 1686 fortifications of Tartu and stroll along the bastions of Toome Hill with archaeologist Ragnar Nurk. The ticket costs 8 euros.

The University of Tartu was founded in 1632 when King Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden signed the deed founding the Academia Gustaviana. The opening ceremony took place on 15 October 1632, that is on 25 October according to the currently used Gregorian calendar.