Jena and Surroundings

Jena, with its 100.000 inhabitants, is the largest town in the Saale Valley. Situated in Thüringen, the 'Green Heart of Germany', it is famous for its beautiful landscape, rich nature, and its cultural history. Modern Jena is an important scientific and industrial center with a long tradition in development and production of high-precision instruments.

 
History of the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität
 
The Friedrich-Schiller-Universität is one of Germany's most traditional centers of higher education. Founded in 1548 as an academic school, it was raised to university status in 1557 by Kaiser Ferdinand I, and opened in 1558. The university established itself as a center of protestant learning and Lutheran theology during its first century of existence. Beginning with the second half of the 17th century, the university focused also on political issues. In the 'classical period' the university of Jena attracted many well-known and influential figures. Goethe and Schiller, Hegel, Fichte, and Fries gave the town and university their distinctive intellectual character. Due to its close links with Weimar, Jena was the most important center of classical German Idealism around 1800. Morphology as a science is intimately linked with the history of the university of Jena. In the late 18th century Goethe coined the term 'Morphologie' and developed his research program in morphology (1807). Goethe discovered the human premaxillary bone when working in the Institute of Anatomy at the university of Jena. Today, the ruins of the Anatomieturm, where Goethe made the discovery, are just 100 meters from the convention center.

After the heyday of the classical period, in the second half of the 19th century, transformation into a civil university took place. Eminent scholars were drawn to Jena by its reputation. In 1841, Karl Marx received his doctorate from the faculty of philosophy. In 1858,  Ernst Haeckel became full professor of zoology in 1862, was essential to shape a rigorous research program of evolutionary morphology. Ernst Haeckel introduced Ontogeny and Phylogeny not only as terms but also as a research concept, which has recently been revitalized by the lively discussion of evolution and development. In the meantime the cooperation between Zeiss, Abbe, and Schott lead Jena into a productive integration of science, optical technology, and industry.

In an era of conflict between science and politics, the university has been subjected to contradictory developments over the course of the 20th century. After World War I, it became the County University of Thüringen. During the Weimar Republic, it went through a period of intellectual revival and scientific innovation of international standing, especially in the fields of physics, medicine, reformed paedagogics, economics, and industrial science. The teaching capacity of the university was substantially extended and excellent relationships with Eastern European universities were established.

However, this development came to an abrupt halt in 1933 when the university did not withstand the increasing fascist politics. The National Socialists gained control over the university, suppressed its liberal traditions and carried out their horrifying racial persecutions. Jewish staff and citizens were deported to concentration camps such as Buchenwald near Weimar.

After the war, Jena fell under Russian control and became part of the socialist German Democratic Republic in 1949. During the cold war, political intervention continued to restrict the activities of the university. A high level of ideological conformity was requested and achieved. As integration with the East began to take priority, the university of Jena, in close cooperation with Zeiss, became one of the leading universities in Eastern Europe, especially in the fields of science and technology.

In the course of German reunification in 1989 the university underwent far-reaching structural reforms involving setting up of new faculties and institutes. The scientific content and personnel of whole disciplines and courses, especially in the humanities, was replaced.

Today, the university offers all levels of academic degrees and about 15.000 students study at ten faculties. They have the option to choose between ca. 100 disciplines.

 
Jena: Historical Summary
 

• 9th century Local settlement recognized as 'Jani'.
• 1236 First mentioned in documents as a town.
• 1523/24 Jena becomes a center of the Lutherian Reformation.
• 1558 Jena university founded, opens for students.
• around 1800 Jena and its university form an intellectual and cultural center: Goethe, Schiller, Fichte, Hegel, Feuerbach, Schelling, Tieck, the Schlegel brothers and their wives all work here.
• 1806 Battle of Jena and Auerstedt: Napoleon's troops defeat the Prussian army.
• 1846 Carl Zeiss founds the precision-engineering optical workshop, in cooperation with Ernst Abbe.
• 1884 Schott glass manufactury established.
• 1889 Ernst Abbe founds the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung.
• 1926 The Planetarium is donated to the city by Carl Zeiss.
• 1933 Nazis take over university and town.
• 1945 The city is destroyed to a great extent by bomb attacks.
• 1949 Jena becomes part of the German Democratic Republic.
• 1953 Failed attempts of upheaval against socialist government.
• 1969/70 Demolition of most of the remaining parts of the old city center to provide space for the university tower.
• 1989 End of socialist rule.
• since 1990 After the reunification, major reconstructions of the city and restructuring of the university.

 
Climate and Geographic Conditions 

Jena is situated in the middle of the Saale valley in east Thüringen, 150m above sea level. Limestone rocks overtower the city. Extensive forest areas and steep slopes of the limestone hills invite for hiking and other recreational activities. Many botanical and geological features, including 40 species of orchids, attract those interested in natural history. In July the mean day temperature is between 20 - 28^oC (68 - 80 F). Evening temperatures are lower. Climate conditions are variable but on average dry with occasional rain and thunderstorms.