Gustav II Adolf (1594–1632) was the King of Sweden and the creator of the Swedish Empire, who ascended the throne at the age of 16.
Gustav II Adolf died in the Thirty Years' War at the Battle of Lützen. In 1632, shortly before the battle, he signed the founding document of the University of Tartu, thus being the founder of the University of Tartu.
Otto Strandman was the author of the statue of Gustav II Adolf, which stood behind the main building of the University of Tartu on the King's Square from 1928 to 1950. The statue was removed by the Soviet occupation authorities on 15 May.
In 1992, King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden and Queen Silvia reopened a new monument by Elisabeth Tebelius-Myren.