Helsinki Mint hat geschrieben:

Some people make an indelible impression on society during their lifetime. One of them is Erik Allardt, one of the most famous and important social scientists in Finland. To celebrate 100 year since his birth, Helsinki Mint launches a special 20 Euro coin in Silver, commissioned by the Ministry of Finance: Finland 20 Euro “Erik Allardt 100 years – Social Sciences in Finland” 2025.

Erik Allardt 1925 – 2025

Allardt was born in 1925 and grew up in Helsinki. After World War II, he went to study at the university of the city. His thesis on the influence of different normative backgrounds on the prevalence of divorce in 1952 laid the foundation for the breakthrough of modern sociology in Finland.

Erik Allardt was mostly focused on the following subjects: the structure of society and its changes and consequences, political radicalism, welfare and linguistic minorities. In total, Allardt published 20 books and more than 600 scientific articles during his lifetime. Another remarkable fact is that Erik Allardt’s time as a professor coincided with the baby boomers at Finnish universities and the growth of social sciences. In this way, sociology became a popular subject and Allardt had around 1,500 students! He educated entire generations of Finnish students, who later reached influential positions in society. On August 2020, Erik Allardt passed away in Helsinki, aged 95.

Design

The Finland 20 Euro “Erik Allardt 100 years – Social Sciences in Finland” 2025 was designed by Petri Neuvonen. The coin, made from top quality Silver, has an interesting design that features a unique quadrilateral on the obverse that resonates within the world of sociology and social science research. This aligns perfectly with the work of Erik Allardt. The various shapes on the obverse converge at the top right. The text "Erik Allardt 1925 – 2020" appears in the largest area.

The reverse depicts the supra-individual structures of society, in which individuals are part of groups of people. The abstract motif features various surface textures and reliefs, which emphasize the simplified formal language and conceptual approach.