University of Helsinki - 350th Anniversary 26.1.1990

Queen Christina (1626-1689) was the reigning queen of Sweden between 1644 and 1654. Her reign ended when she abdicated, after which she converted to Catholicism – an action which has greatly tasked historians in their attempts to offer an explanation. Christina spent the greater part of her remaining years in Rome. Her interest in cultural and scientific topics started at an early age, and she associated and corresponded with a number of the most eminent scholars of the era. Nordic Women's Literary history was the result of over a decade of work by the first-generation women's literary researchers in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. The works span more than a thousand-year of womens literature history. It contains 250 articles, gives information about 850 writers and is written by hundreds of female academics. 

It is in keeping with this theme that the two stamps on the cover depict firstly, University crest and Queen Christina on horseback, and on the second stamp the University crest and the degree ceremony procession in front of the main university building.

The University of Helsinki, the oldest and largest university in Finland, celebrated its 350th anniversary in 1990. Its students make up a quarter of all university students in the country. Several subjects are taught exclusively at the University of Helsinki and it also offers the largest variety of instruction. As the oldest university in Finland, the University of Helsinki is a unique and historic institution, and has been the focal point of the country’s history for the last 370 years. Today the University of Helsinki is the most comprehensive in Finland. Since 1640 the university’s part in learning has been significant. Many future leaders of the nation have been educated there. The architecture of the University in the city centre of Helsinki has become one of the beauties of the city and the National library and museum house a number of important collections. But most importantly, a university is judged by its contribution to research, both in the sciences and in the liberal arts – a theme which runs throughout the book. International comparisons have consistently placed the university among Europe’s most accomplished institutions of research and teaching. Merja gave me this historic FDC.