70 years since the Helsinki Olympics – the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre revisits the buzz of the 1952 Summer Games
Fazer has always been involved in great moments in Finnish history, and the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games are no exception. The Summer Olympics held in 1952 were a one-of-a-kind undertaking for Finland, and Fazer was a visible part of the enormous effort. Now, the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Games with a mini exhibition prepared in collaboration with Tahto (the Sports Museum of Finland). Objects from the Olympics will be exhibited from 20 June to 15 August 2022.
“In many ways, the Helsinki 1952 Olympic Games were a watershed moment in Fazer’s evolution into the modern food experience company we are today. Finland was a country of four million inhabitants at the time, and the Games were a massive undertaking that also catalysed the development of the Finnish food industry, as well as Fazer. The company has always kept abreast of the times, and this is strongly reflected in the objects featured at the exhibition, such as the Olympic-themed chocolate boxes,” says Anu Kokko, Director of the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre.
“The Olympic Games boosted the nation’s self-esteem. Spirits were high, and people were proud of Finland hosting the Games. We organised the biggest sporting event in the world, were applauded for our success, and took a step towards Europe and the rest of the world with our heads held high. Fazer has always subscribed to the values of openness, courage and innovation. After all, the company’s founder Karl Fazer took part in the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games, and his grandson Peter Fazer represented Finland at the Tokyo Olympics,” Anu Kokko adds.
The Helsinki Olympics spurred the development of the food industry
In the Olympic year, Finland transitioned from the post-war period to normal times. The last train delivering war reparations was dispatched. The rationing of chocolate had ended in 1949, and the production of old favourites was gradually resumed.
“A tangible change in everyday life was freshly baked bread. At first, Fazer had its own bakery shops selling bread in Helsinki. Since 1952, fresh bread has been delivered to retail stores for sale,” Anu Kokko explains.
Another milestone was related to food expertise. The Helsinki Olympics truly put Finnish food services to the test, as Työmaahuolto, an association that employed members of the former Lotta Svärd organisation, catered for 75,000 customers a day. Fazer acquired Työmaahuolto in the late 1970s, at which point the company also inherited a huge amount of food service expertise.
Rare objects from Fazer’s own collections also displayed
“The 1952 Summer Olympics are the only Olympic Games Finland has hosted so far. They remain the biggest sporting event ever organised in the Nordic countries. In collaboration with the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre, we wanted to bring the Games and their significance for Helsinki and Finland into the spotlight. They lit an athletic spark in Finland and inspired the nation to move. Finnish companies played a huge role in the event, and their investment should not be forgotten. This Olympic-themed mini exhibition is also a great complement to our permanent exhibition at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium,” says Kalle Rantala, Head of Exhibitions at Tahto (the Sports Museum of Finland).
The mini exhibition at the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre features an official replica of the Olympic torch used by Paavo Nurmi to light the Olympic flame at the Helsinki Olympics. In the display cases, visitors can view a series of Olympic medals, consisting of the gold, silver and bronze medals, a commemorative medal, and a commemorative coin. Other displayed objects include a competitor’s badge and an official’s badge, admission tickets, Olympic programmes, and items from Fazer’s own collections. What makes Fazer’s collection of objects unique is that some of the products on display were designed by Fazer for the cancelled Olympic Games which Helsinki was set to host in 1940.
The objects will be exhibited from 20 June to 15 August 2022 in the Visitor Centre lobby, which is available to all visitors. The Helsinki 1952 display boards will be up from 18 July to 3 August 2022. The screen in the lobby will play a Helsinki 1952 slide show on a loop, featuring photographs from the collections of Tahto (the Sports Museum of Finland) and the Helsinki City Museum.
Further information:
Anu Kokko, Director, Fazer Experience Visitor Centre, tel. +358 40 504 2746, anu.kokko@fazer.com
Kalle Rantala, Head of Exhibitions, Tahto (the Sports Museum of Finland), tel. +358 44 700 2592, www.tahto.com
Fazer’s media phone line is open Mon–Fri from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., tel. +358 40 668 2998, media@fazer.com
The exhibition and shop at the Fazer Experience Visitor Centre and Fazer Café Fazerila are open to customers every day of the week.
Fazer Experience Visitor Centre, Fazerintie 6, 01230 Vantaa, Finland
Opening times: Mon–Fri 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Print-ready images: www.fazergroup.com/media – Public Image Bank – Media_Press – Finland – Fazer Experience – Helsinki 1952 Summer Olympics
Websites: https://www.fazer.com/visit-us/fazer-experience/ and www.tahto.com
#kulttuurikeskustahto
#visitfazer
Fazer Group
Fazer, The Food Experience Company, enables people to enjoy the best moments of their day. Our mission, Food with a purpose, builds on our strong 130-year heritage, consumer first approach and innovations to create the sustainable food solutions of the future. With our dedicated team of professionals, we focus on fast-moving consumer goods and our direct-to-consumer business in the Nordics, Baltics, and beyond with exports to some 40 different countries. Fazer’s operations comply with its Code of Conduct that is based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact. In 2021, Fazer Group had net sales of 1.1 billion euros and employed approximately 8,000 people.
Northern Magic. Made Real.
Tags:
