Jena

Jena is a city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. It is near the cities of Erfurt and Weimar. About 110,000 people live in Jena, and the area around it has about 500,000 people.

Jena is famous for learning and research. It is home to the University of Jena, which was founded in 1558, and the Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena.

The city was first mentioned in the year 1182. In the 1800s, Jena became known for making optical tools. Companies such as Carl Zeiss, Schott, and Jenoptik helped Jena become a leader in this area.

Today, Jena's economy is based on high-technology and research. This includes making precise optical instruments, as well as software, digital businesses, and biotechnology. The city is set in a hilly area along the Saale river. It is also known for its many wild orchids nearby.

History

Middle Ages

Long ago, the Saale River marked the border between Germanic and Slavic lands. Jena was built where this river could be crossed, though other nearby towns like Naumburg and Saalfeld were also important crossings. Jena was first mentioned in a document from 1182. The Lords of Lobdeburg, who ruled the area, built two towns: Jena on one side of the river and Lobeda on the other. By around 1230, Jena became a proper town with rights to hold markets and build walls.

Jena’s early economy depended on growing wine on the sunny hillsides. Two important monasteries were also founded there.

Early modern period

In 1523, the ideas of the Protestant Reformation reached Jena. Martin Luther visited and helped change the religious life of the town. Later, in 1558, a university was founded, which became very important as wine-making declined.

Jena’s university grew famous in the late 1700s for its teachers of philosophy and poetry. Two famous writers, Goethe and Schiller, met there and became close friends.

18th century

The university became well-known for its ideas and teachers. Many important thinkers and writers lived and worked in Jena during this time.

19th century

On October 14, 1806, a big battle happened near Jena where Napoleon defeated the Prussian army. Later in the century, the city grew with new factories and railways. Famous inventors and businessmen like Carl Zeiss and Otto Schott helped build up the city’s work in making optical tools and special glass.

20th century

As factories grew, Jena changed from a quiet university town to a busy city with many workers. New neighborhoods were built, and the university got new buildings.

During World War II, Jena was heavily bombed, and many old buildings were lost. After the war, the city became part of East Germany. New factories were built, and protests against the government grew in the late 1980s.

After 1990, Jena joined the new state of Thuringia. Though some industries struggled at first, the city became a strong place for science and learning again.

Geography and demographics

Jena is a city in eastern Germany by the Saale River. It is surrounded by hills and mountains, with the city center about 160 meters above sea level. The nearby mountains go up to 400 meters and are covered with forests.

The area around Jena is full of nature. You can see many wildflowers, including 32 kinds of orchids. Animals like fireflies, herons, and pine martens sometimes come to the town at night. Jena has a mild climate with warm summers and cold winters. The weather can change a lot because the city is in a valley.

Over time, Jena's population has grown from about 5,000 people in the 1800s to more than 100,000 people today. Many people move to Jena from nearby areas and other countries. The city has people from many cultures, including Russia, China, and Ukraine.

Culture, sights and cityscape

Museums

Jena has many interesting museums to explore:

• The Optical Museum Jena shows the history of glasses, microscopes, cameras, and telescopes.
• The Phyletisches Museum has a natural history exhibit about evolution and fossils.
• The Stadtmuseum & Kunstsammlung shows the history of Jena and modern and contemporary art.
• The Botanischer Garten is one of the oldest botanic gardens in Germany and has many plants from around the world.
• The Romantikerhaus has an exhibit about German literature from the Jena romantics time.
• Schillers Gartenhaus was the summer home of Friedrich Schiller and shows exhibits about his life.
• The Goethe-Gedenkstätte shows exhibits about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and his links to Jena (open in summer).
• The Ernst-Haeckel-Haus was the home of biologist Ernst Haeckel and has exhibits about his life.
• The Schott Glasmuseum shows the history of glass and the life of Otto Schott.
• The Museum 1806 has an exhibit about the Battle of Jena–Auerstedt during the Napoleonic wars.
• The University of Jena has important scientific collections, like the collection of pre- and protohistoric artifacts. Some collections of antiques and minerals are public, but the oriental coins are for research only.

Cityscape

Most of Jena's buildings are from before World War II. The historic city centre is inside the old city walls. There aren't many old buildings there because of damage in World War II and changes made later. The Eichplatz is a large empty square in the centre that hasn't been built on since the 1960s.

Jena grew a lot in the late 1800s and early 1900s, expanding north, south, west, and east. Many old buildings survived in these areas. During the 1920s, many new homes were built far from the centre, which still makes travel difficult today.

Jena also has a second old town centre in the Lobeda district, about 4 km south of the main city.

Sights and architectural heritage

Churches

• St. Michael's is one of the largest Gothic churches in Thuringia, built between 1422 and 1557. It has a bronze slab from Martin Luther's tomb.
• St. John's Church was used as a cemetery chapel and later became Jena's Catholic church.
• The Peace Church is a Baroque church built between 1686 and 1693.
• The Schiller Church is where Friedrich Schiller married in 1790.
• St. Peter's Church is the old church of Lobeda, built around 1480.
• The parish church of Vierzehnheiligen is a Gothic-style church from the 1460s.
• St. Mary's Church in Ziegenhain is a Gothic-style church from the 15th century.

Other sights

• Parts of the medieval city wall are still standing, like the Anatomieturm and Roter Turm.
• The town hall at Markt square was built around 1412 and has an astronomical clock.
• The planetarium opened in 1926 and was the first large planetarium in the world, using technology developed by Carl Zeiss.
• The University Main Building was built in 1908 in early-modern style.
• The Abbeanum is a university building in Bauhaus style, built in 1930.
• The Jen Tower is Jena's tallest skyscraper, built between 1969 and 1972, with a viewing platform and a sky restaurant.
• The Haus Auerbach is a mansion built by Walter Gropius and Adolf Meyer in 1924.
• The former Carl Zeiss Factory has interesting architecture from 1880 to 1965, including Germany's first high-rise building.
• The monument to John Frederick the Magnanimous at Markt square is called "Hanfried".
• The monument to Ernst Abbe was built in 1910.
• The Lobdeburg is a castle ruin above Lobeda and was the home of the lords of Lobdeburg.
• Naturschutzgebiet Leutratal und Cospoth is a nature reserve southwest of Jena.

Theatre and music

Jena has its own theatre and orchestra, the Jenaer Philharmonie.

Sports

Jena is home to the football club FC Carl Zeiss Jena. The club won titles in the past but now plays in a lower league. The women's football team, FF USV Jena, also plays in a lower league. Both teams play at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld stadium. The city has a basketball team, Science City Jena, and a rugby team, USV Rugby Jena.

The current men's javelin throw world record was set in Jena.

Economy and infrastructure

Agriculture, industry and services

Agriculture is not very important in Jena, with only 40% of the land used for farming. The soil is not very fertile and is mostly used for grazing animals. The main farming area is around Isserstedt, Cospeda, and Vierzehnheiligen in the northwest. Wine-growing stopped during a cold period in history but might be possible again now because of warmer weather.

Jena has a strong industrial history dating back to the mid-1800s. Today, many companies employ thousands of people in areas like precision machinery, pharmaceuticals, optics, biotechnology, and software. Well-known companies include Carl Zeiss AG, Schott AG, Jenoptik, and Jenapharm. Jena is also a center for E-commerce with companies like Intershop Communications and Salesforce.com. The city is known for its growing economy, research institutes, and low unemployment.

Transport

By rail

Jena does not have a central train station where all lines meet, which is unusual for a German city. Trains run north to south on the Saal Railway, connecting Berlin to Munich, and west to east on the Weimar–Gera railway, linking cities like Göttingen and Zwickau. The main train junction is at Göschwitz station, about 5 kilometers south of the city center.

By road

Two major highways, Bundesautobahn 4 and Bundesautobahn 9, cross near Jena. These highways connect Jena to cities like Frankfurt, Dresden, Berlin, and Munich. There are also important regional roads linking Jena to nearby towns such as Weimar, Gera, Naumburg, and Rudolstadt.

By air

The closest airports are Erfurt–Weimar Airport, about 50 kilometers west of Jena, and Leipzig/Halle Airport, about 80 kilometers northeast. Both mainly offer flights to holiday destinations. Larger airports like Frankfurt, Berlin Brandenburg, and Munich are also within reach.

By bike

Jena is a good city for cycling, especially because of its many students. Bike paths have been improved since the 1990s, and there are special routes for longer rides, like the Saale cycle route and the Towns of Thuringia cycle route.

Trams and buses

Jena has a tram system that started in 1901 and was expanded after Germany reunited. Trams connect different parts of the city to the center, with services running every 7.5 to 20 minutes. There is also a large network of buses that link Jena to nearby towns and villages.

Education and research

After Germany reunited, Jena’s education system was updated. The University of Jena, founded in 1558, now has about 21,000 students. There is also the Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena, a university focused on applying science in real-world situations, with nearly 5,000 students. The city has several schools, including special ones for sports and science.

Jena is home to many research institutes, such as the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, and the Institute of Photonic Technology. These institutes work on various scientific projects and offer advanced studies.

Quality of life

In 2013, a study showed that Jena was one of the best places to live in Germany, ranking fifth. Another study in 2019 found that Jena is a very active area in Germany, placing it at number 29 out of 401 regions in the country.

Politics

Mayor and city council

After Germany reunited, voters chose Peter Röhlinger as the first mayor. He served from 1990 until 2006. Then Albrecht Schröter became mayor. In 2018, Thomas Nitzsche won the election and has been mayor since then. The latest mayoral election was on 26 May 2024, with a second round on 9 June.

The city council election was also on 26 May 2024.

Sister cities

Jena has many sister cities around the world. Some of them are:

• Panyu, Guangzhou, China
• Aubervilliers, France
• Plomeur, France
• Erlangen, Germany
• San Marcos, Nicaragua
• Beit Jala, Palestine
• Porto, Portugal
• Lugoj, Romania
• Vladimir, Russia
• Berkeley, California, United States

Notable people

Jena has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some of these include:

• Ernst Abbe (1840–1905), a physicist and social reformer who worked with Carl Zeiss and Otto Schott.
• Johannes R. Becher (1891–1958), a poet and politician.
• Hans Berger, the discoverer of human EEG.
• Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1911-2004), who was married to a princess of the Netherlands.
• Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a naturalist and doctor.
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), a well-known poet and writer.
• Karl Marx (1818–1883), a philosopher and economist.
• Martin Luther (1483–1546), a key figure in the Reformation.
• Friedrich Schiller, another famous poet and writer.

Many other important thinkers, scientists, and artists have lived and worked in Jena, making it a city rich in history and ideas.