Welcome to Jena – a city which balances history and high technology
The city of Jena lives on a fascinating combination of its rich historical and intellectual past, its attractive landscape, innovative international research and industry, and its youthful student life. This wealth of different facets creates a unique setting which gives this small, vibrant city its special charm.

Jena’s academic and intellectual development
Since the university, the Alma Mater Jenensis, was founded in 1558, Jena has been one of the most famous places to study in Germany. Thanks to its close connection to the nearby seat of the duchy, Weimar, and support from the poet and minister Goethe, at the end of the 18th century, the city on the Saale enjoyed a Classicist period, in which Jena became the most important intellectual centre in Germany.

Jena’s economic development
In the second half of the 19th century, Jena developed into a city of industry thanks to the work of the three great scientific and industrial thinkers, Carl Zeiss, Otto Schott and Ernst Abbe. Their cooperation resulted in the world-famous Zeiss works and Jena's Schott and Associates glassworks. This effective cooperation between research institutes and the industrial companies has been maintained until today and is the reason behind Jena’s outstanding reputation as a high-tech location.