Royal Academy of Turku facts for kids
Seal of the Royal Academy of Åbo
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| Latin: Regia Academia Aboensis | |
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Other name
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Royal Academy of Turku |
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| Active | 1640–1828 |
| Location | , |
| Re-established as | University of Helsinki |
The Royal Academy of Turku (also known as the Royal Academy of Åbo) was the very first university in Finland. It was also the only university founded in Finland when the country was still part of Sweden. It opened its doors in 1640.
Later, in 1809, Finland became a special area called a Grand Duchy under the rule of the Russian Emperor. Because of this, the university's name changed to the Imperial Academy of Turku. Then, in 1828, a huge fire, known as the Great Fire of Turku, destroyed much of the city. After the fire, the university moved to Helsinki. This move happened because Helsinki had become the new capital of the Grand Duchy. Finally, when Finland became an independent country in 1917, the university was renamed the University of Helsinki.
How the Academy Began
The Royal Academy was officially started on March 26, 1640. It was Queen Christina of Sweden who approved its creation, based on an idea from Count Per Brahe. The new university was built upon the foundation of an older school, the Åbo Cathedral School, which had been around since 1276!
This academy was the third university to be established in the large Swedish Empire. The other two were Uppsala University (started in 1477) and the Academia Gustaviana (now the University of Tartu in Estonia), which began in 1632.
An interesting fact is that the very first place to print books in Finland was set up at this academy in 1642. The person in charge of the printing was Peder Walde.
Moving to Helsinki
For a long time, Turku (or Åbo, as it was called in Swedish) was the biggest city in Finland. It was also one of the three largest cities in all of Sweden. But in 1809, Finland became part of the Russian Empire. The capital of the new Grand Duchy of Finland was moved to Helsinki in 1812. This was because Turku was thought to be too far from Saint Petersburg, the Russian capital, and too close to Stockholm, the Swedish capital.
Then, in 1827, the Great Fire of Turku happened. This terrible fire destroyed most of the city. After the fire, all the government offices that were still in Turku finally moved to the new capital, Helsinki. The university moved too. It continued its work in Helsinki, first known as the Imperial Alexander University in Finland. Later, after Finland became independent in 1917, it became the famous University of Helsinki.
Today, there are two universities in Turku. One is the Swedish-speaking Åbo Akademi University (founded in 1918). The other is the Finnish-speaking University of Turku (founded in 1920). Both of these universities sometimes say they are continuing the academic tradition that started in Turku way back in the 17th century, even though there was a long break for almost a hundred years.
Images for kids
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Inauguration of the Turku Academy Part 1 (Albert Edelfelt, 1902, painting in the ballroom of the University of Helsinki)
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Inauguration of the Turku Academy Part 2
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Inauguration of the Turku Academy Part 3
Learn More
- List of early modern universities in Europe
- List of universities in Finland (these are universities that exist today)
