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Anders Chydenius died February 1, 1803 in Kokkola¿s rectory. This year marks the 200th anniversary of his death. Chydenius¿ hometown, the City of Kokkola and its co-operative partners are celebrating the memory of Anders Chydenius by arranging many different events during the year to honour the renown vicar¿s vocation and his ideologies of freedom.

The celebratory year was launched February 2nd, in Kokkola with an exhibition of ¿The Life and Times of Chydenius.¿ The exhibition will be on display in Sotkamo and Kuusamo, both childhood hometowns of Chydenius. During the summer the exhibition will be in Kokkola and in September and October at the Parliamentary Library in Helsinki.

Juha Manninen spoke in honour of the anniversary of Chydenius¿ death reflecting on Chydenius¿ current influence on the principle of transparency and legislative administration in relation to the European Union.

The Chydenius celebratory year main celebration was held on Saturday, March 1, 2003. The programme included a public event held at the rectory and the neighbouring Home District Museum. Emeritus Archbishop John Vikström spoke at Kaarlela church honouring Chydenius¿ achievements. .

The main event was held at Kokkola¿s City Hall where the keynote speaker was President Tarja Halonen, who thought that Chydenius¿ ideology in support of the ¿common man¿ was visionary and suitable for globalization. Also, other notary public figures who wished to honour Chydenius¿ ideals were the Swedish Governments representative, Anders Björck as well as the Chydenius Foundation¿s chairperson Gustav Björkstrand.

A commemorative coin was issued on Chydenius¿ birthday, February 26, 2003. The ten euro silver coin, called National Advocate (Puolesta maan), was designed by the artist/sculptor Tero Lounas.

The Chydenius Foundation is organizing an Chydenius Seminar in Kokkola later this year.

In the middle of October Sweden will host an event which amongst other happenings will include an Anders Chydenius exhibition and a seminar in Stockholm during Sweden¿s official parliamentary days.

Central Ostrobothnia¿s Chamber Orchestra led by Juha Kangas has recorded music obtained from Anders Chydenius¿ collection of musical notations and this recording will be released during the jubilee year.

More information on the jubilee year can be obtained by contacting the City of Kokkola, Sampo Purontaus, telephone: (06) 8289 264 or sampo.purontaus@kokkola.fi, or Chydenius Institute, Pertti Hyttinen, telephone: (06) 8294 227, pertti.hyttinen@chydenius.fi.

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