History

In the 1950s, maritime counselor Antti Wihuri stated that during the difficult years of war, Finland had received help from the world—now it was time to give something back. Based on this vision, he established the Wihuri Foundation for International Prizes.

The founder of the Wihuri Foundation for International Prizes, maritime counselor Antti Wihuri, was born on October 9, 1883, in the archipelago parish of Kustavi. He went to sea at just 12 years old, sailed for 15 years, and worked as a stevedoring company director and shipbroker. In 1916, Antti Wihuri founded his own shipping company.

While Wihuri’s initial success came from the sea, from the 1940s onward, he began expanding his business into other fields. Wihuri wanted to give back to the society that had enabled his success. Thus, in 1942, he and his wife Jenny Wihuri established the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, a nonprofit foundation dedicated to supporting Finnish science, arts, and societal activities through grants.

When the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation was founded, its purpose was to help war-torn Finland recover and thrive. By the 1950s, the post-war apathy had begun to ease. At that time, Antti Wihuri reiterated that Finland had received help from the world during difficult times—now it was Finland’s turn to give back.

Following this belief, in 1953, Antti Wihuri established a sister foundation to the original foundation, to award major prizes beyond Finland’s borders. The Wihuri Foundation for International Prizes grants the Wihuri Sibelius Prize to composers and the Wihuri International Prize to scientists in recognition of outstanding international achievements.

Antti Wihuri passed away in Helsinki in 1962. To date, the Wihuri Foundation for International Prizes has awarded a total of 41 prizes.