Jena
The first unequivocal mention of Jena appears in an 1182 document. Before that year, the Saale river served as a border between Germanic regions to the west and Slavic regions to the east. This river crossing made the location convenient for early settlement. The Lords of Lobdeburg established their power with a castle near Lobeda on the eastern hillside of the valley. In the 13th century, these lords founded two towns within the valley. They placed Jena on the west bank and Lobeda on the east bank. Around 1230, Jena received official town rights. A regular city grid emerged between today's Fürstengraben, Löbdergraben, Teichgraben and Leutragraben streets. The community built a marketplace, main church, town hall, council chambers and defensive walls during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Wine production on the warm hillsides formed the economic backbone of this new town. Two monasteries arrived later to complete the medieval appearance. The Dominicans established a presence in 1286 while the Cistercians followed in 1301. Political shifts in Thuringia changed ownership when the weakened Lords of Lobdeburg sold Jena to the Wettins in 1331. Citizens strengthened their rights and wealth throughout the following centuries.
Around 1790, the university became the largest and most famous among German states. This status made Jena the center for idealist philosophy known as Ich. Professors such as Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, and Friedrich Schiller taught here. Poets like Novalis, August Schlegel, and Ludwig Tieck found home within these academic walls. In 1794, Goethe and Schiller met at the university and established a lasting friendship based on Shakespeare. Their collaboration enhanced the reputation of both the university and the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. The city became known as liberal yet severely self-absorbed during this period. The Protestant Reformation reached Jena in 1523 when Martin Luther visited to reorganize clerical relations. He turned the town into an early center for his doctrine. Townsmen attacked Dominican and Carmelite convents which were abolished in 1525 and 1548 respectively. Students composed a list called the Seven Wonders of Jena around the 16th century. They used this test to confirm local knowledge for anyone claiming to have studied there. The university foundation in 1558 by Ernestine Elector John Frederick the Magnanimous provided income after wine growing declined during the Little Ice Age. A boom in printing business followed the rising importance of books in Lutheran doctrine. Jena became the second-largest printing location in Germany after Leipzig.
The expansion of science and medicine faculties linked closely to industrial growth after 1871. Famous pioneers Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe founded their company Carl Zeiss AG alongside Otto Schott's Schott AG. Production of optical items, precision machinery and laboratory glassware became main economic branches. Jena glass even took its name from the city itself. Zeiss, Abbe and Schott worked as social reformers improving living conditions for workers. When Zeiss died in 1889, his company passed to the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung. This foundation uses great amounts of profits for research projects at universities. The model became an example for other German companies like the Robert Bosch Stiftung. An electrified tramway started operation in the first years of the 1900s following a 1898 agreement. Industrialization fundamentally changed the social structure of Jena. The former academic town transformed into a working-class city. Population rose from 8,000 around 1870 up to 71,000 at the beginning of World War II. Bau 15 of the Carl Zeiss factory opened in 1915 as Germany's first high-rise building. The modern optical and glass industry kept booming during Weimar times. In 2012, 80 industrial companies employed 8,300 persons generating over 1.5 billion Euro turnover.
After 1990, Jena became part of the refounded state of Thuringia. Industry faced heavy crisis during the 1990s but managed transition to market economy. Today it stands as one of leading economic centers of eastern Germany. The university enlarged significantly while many new research institutes were founded. Approximately 21,000 students attend this university today. The Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena serves another 5,000 students since its founding in 1991. Six Gymnasiums operate within the city including elite boarding schools for athletics or football. Research institutes include Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology and Leibniz Institute for Age Research. Jena received the title Stadt der Wissenschaft from Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft in 2008. In 2013, a study ranked Jena as fifth-most livable city in Germany. Another 2019 study placed it at number 29 among all 401 German regions. Companies like Intershop Communications and Salesforce.com make Jena a hub for E-commerce in Germany. Optronik develops components for spaceflight or satellites as a subsidiary of Airbus Group. The city ranks among Germany's 50 fastest growing regions with low unemployment rates.
Jena lies in a hilly landscape within the wide valley of the Saale river. Municipal terrain features rugged slopes rising up to 400 meters on both sides of the valley. The city center sits at 160 meters elevation while mountains form geological formation called Ilm Saale Plate. Thirty-two species of native orchids can be found throughout the Jena area. Leutratal offers one of best places to see them south of the town. Bee orchid grows at a few locations even within the town limits. Rare true service tree specimens exist on Hausberg close to Ziegenhain. Fireflies appear in meadows of Paradiespark alongside variety of native wildflowers. Wildlife includes raven, sand lizard and wood ants on surrounding mountains. Heron, beaver and muskrat have been seen on the Saale within the town. European wildcat occurs near Jena according to documentation. Pine martens sometimes enter the town at night from mountains to raid bins. Annual precipitation averages moderate rainfall throughout year creating oceanic climate conditions. Summers are warm and humid while winters remain relatively cold. Microclimate caused by basin position creates inversion during winter nights and heat issues in summer.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When was Jena first mentioned in historical documents?
The first unequivocal mention of Jena appears in an 1182 document. Before that year, the Saale river served as a border between Germanic regions to the west and Slavic regions to the east.
Who founded the university in Jena and when did it open?
Ernestine Elector John Frederick the Magnanimous provided the university foundation in 1558 after wine growing declined during the Little Ice Age. The institution later became the largest and most famous among German states around 1790.
What happened to Jena during World War II bombing raids?
Allied bombing raids repeatedly targeted Jena toward the end of World War II killing seven hundred nine people while two thousand suffered injuries. Most of the medieval town center was destroyed but restored after the war ended.
How many students attend universities in Jena today?
Approximately 21,000 students attend the university in Jena today. The Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena serves another 5,000 students since its founding in 1991.
Where is Jena located geographically within Germany?
Jena lies in a hilly landscape within the wide valley of the Saale river with municipal terrain featuring rugged slopes rising up to 400 meters on both sides of the valley. The city center sits at 160 meters elevation while mountains form geological formation called Ilm Saale Plate.