Jena (Thuringia)

Jena is located about 230 km northeast of Erlangen. The city has a population of 100,000.

Jena was first mentioned in historical records as early as the 9th century and was recognized as a city in 1236. In the 16th century, Jena was the scene of conflicts during the Peasants’ War in the wake of the Reformation. After 1785, the university town—already famous at the time—experienced an academic and cultural renaissance that also attracted figures such as Goethe and Schiller.

Modern-day Jena is characterized by scientific institutions and state-of-the-art industry. Teaching and research are the focal points at the university—founded as early as 1558 and now bearing the name of Friedrich Schiller—and at Jena University of Applied Sciences, which together have approximately 26,000 students. More than 30 other institutions, including three Max Planck Institutes and one Fraunhofer Institute, round out the academic landscape.

Jena’s industrial tradition began in 1864, when Carl Zeiss opened his first optical workshop, thereby establishing the city’s reputation as a center of glass technology—a reputation also associated with names such as Ernst Abbe and Otto Schott. In the years following 1990, Jena succeeded in fostering its development into a high-tech city by attracting new companies and innovation centers, without neglecting the modernization of its traditional industries. Today, names such as JENOPTIK, SCHOTT JENAer Glas, and CARL ZEISS stand for a successful new beginning.

Other highlights of Jena include the world’s oldest planetarium, one of Europe’s largest collections of eyeglasses, and the Optical Museum. The city’s charming surroundings, with their shell limestone hills of geological and botanical interest, serve as both a tourist destination and a local recreational area.

The city partnership, which developed very rapidly—especially after the political transition—and successfully incorporated the business sector early on (e.g., the Niersberger Group), manifests itself in a broad spectrum of diverse activities at all levels of public life—mostly unspectacular, but consistent and effective. The city’s cultural and sports associations have played a particularly significant role in the success of this partnership. In 2010, the partnership was honored with the 2010 Unity Prize.