Estonia · 100th anniversary of the founding of the Estonian-language University of Tartu

Issue date19 Nov 2019

Total mintage1,000,000

EU maximum1,000,000

Editions3

Edge letteringEESTI × 2, alternating upright/inverted, separated by dots

InscriptionRAHVUSÜLIKOOL 100 / UNIVERSITAS TARTUENSIS / 1632 / EESTI / 2019

DesignerIndrek Ilves

mintUAB Lietuvos monetų kalykla, Vilnius (Lithuania)

Issue occasion

The coin commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of the University of Tartu as the first Estonian-language institution of higher education. Founded in 1632 by King Gustav II Adolf, the university became the first Estonian-language institution of higher education in 1919. The design shows the university’s main building, as well as the inscriptions “RAHVUSÜLIKOOL 100” and “UNIVERSITAS TARTUENSIS” and the year “1632”.

The design

The coin commemorates the 100th anniversary of the founding of Universität Tartu as the first Estonian-language university. It was founded in 1632 by the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf and is one of the oldest universities in Northern and Eastern Europe. In 1919, it became the first Estonian-language university.

The design depicts the main building of the university. It also bears the inscriptions “RAHVUSÜLIKOOL 100” (National University 100) and “UNIVERSITAS TARTUENSIS”, the year “1632”, the issuing country “EESTI” and the year of issue “2019”.

The outer ring of the coin features the twelve stars of the European flag.

Background on the topic

The transition to teaching in Estonian was closely connected with the establishment of the Republic of Estonia. Following the declaration of independence in 1918, the country initially found itself in the War of Independence. Nevertheless, the new government began building its own institutions for administration, science and education. The opening of the national university on 1 December 1919 was part of this process.

Previously, the institution had changed its institutional and linguistic orientation several times. After a lengthy interruption, it was reopened in 1802 in the Russian Empire (Russisches Kaiserreich) as a German-language university and, under the name Dorpat, became a centre of scholarship in the Baltic region. In the course of Russification, Russian became the language of instruction towards the end of the 19th century; the official name of the city and university was also changed to Jurjew. During the German occupation in 1918, a German-language Landesuniversität existed briefly.

The transition to Estonian was more than a change in the language of instruction. For numerous fields, Estonian academic terminology first had to be developed and standardised. The institution trained teachers, lawyers, doctors, civil servants and scholars for the new state. At the same time, Estonian gained a firm place in research and academic teaching, after previously having played only a limited role there.

The classical main building was constructed at the beginning of the 19th century according to plans by the German-born architect Johann Wilhelm Krause. Its columned façade became a widely recognisable symbol of the university. The building is located in the centre of Tartu; the historic university ensemble also includes sites on Toome Hill (Domberg), including the observatory and the university library in the ruins of the cathedral.

The centenary offered a suitable occasion for a coin because the national university is closely connected with the founding of the state, language policy and the establishment of Estonian institutions. The term “Rahvusülikool”, meaning “National University”, particularly refers to its role in relation to the Estonian language, culture and society.