2 Euro BU

The University of Turku (Universität Turku) was established in the years following Finnish independence in 1917. Its foundation was made possible by a nationwide fundraising campaign in which more than 22,000 people took part. The aim was to create a university at which Finnish was the primary language of teaching and scholarship. The new institution was the country’s first fully Finnish-language university. Its establishment was thus closely connected with the development of the independent Finnish state and the position of the Finnish language in education.

Turku, however, had a university tradition dating back much further. In 1640, the Royal Academy of Turku (Königliche Akademie zu Turku) was founded there, the first university in what is now Finland. Following the great city fire of 1827, it was relocated to Helsinki; the present-day University of Helsinki (Universität Helsinki) developed from it. Founded in 1920, the University of Turku is therefore not a direct continuation of the old academy, but it connects with the city’s academic history. In addition, Åbo Akademi, a Swedish-language university, has existed in Turku since 1918.

Funding from numerous private donors shaped the new university’s self-image. Scholarship was not to be solely a matter for state institutions or small social groups, but was to be supported by broad participation and serve Finnish society. This foundation explains why the anniversary focused not only on the university as an institution, but particularly on its interaction with society.

This relationship encompasses research, academic education and the dissemination of scholarly knowledge to the public, administration, business and culture. Conversely, social issues and changes influence the work of a university. The coin issue therefore commemorated not merely a round-numbered anniversary of the university’s foundation, but also its unusual emergence from a civic initiative. The anniversary year thus provided an opportunity to highlight the historical connection between scholarship, language, national independence and public participation.