Jena

Jena is a city in the eastern German state of Thuringia. It lies on the Saale River at the western edge of the Thuringian Forest and is a major urban center in eastern Thuringia, with about 110,000 inhabitants.

The city is home to Friedrich Schiller University Jena, founded in 1558, one of Germany’s oldest universities. Jena has long been a center of science and philosophy, and in the 18th and 19th centuries it played a significant role in German Romanticism and idealism, hosting scholars such as Fichte and Hegel during that era.

Economy and research: Jena is renowned for its historical association with optics and precision engineering, notably through Carl Zeiss and Ernst Abbe. This legacy created a lasting cluster of optical and information technology firms and research activity. Contemporary institutions include research centers such as the Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technology and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, underscoring the city’s ongoing role in science and technology.

Culture and landmarks: The city offers a range of museums, theaters, and cultural venues tied to its scientific heritage. Notable attractions include the Zeiss Planetarium and the university botanical garden, as well as historic and modern university facilities distributed around the town center. The urban core features the Marktplatz area with historic architecture and a concentration of academic and cultural institutions.