View source for Jena

{{Short description|City in Germany}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox German place
| type               = City
| image_flag           = Flag of Jena.svg
| image_coa            = Wappen Jena.svg
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image
  | total_width            = 280
  | border                 = infobox
  | perrow                 = 1/2/13
  | caption_align          = center
  | image1                 = Zentrum Jenas im Tal 2008-05-24.JPG
  | caption1               = Jena skyline (2008)
  | image2                 = Luftaufnahme Stadtkirche St. Michael Jena.jpg
  | caption2               = St. Michael
  | image3                 = Fuchsturm mit Wenigenjena und Jenzig.png
  | caption3               = Fox tower on the Hausberg mountain
  | image4                 = ChristmasMarketJena.jpg
  | caption4               = Marketplace
  }}
| coordinates       = {{coord|50|55|38|N|11|35|10|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| image_plan          = Thuringia J.svg
| plantext            = Location of Jena within Thuringia
| state        = Thüringen
| district         = Kreisfreie Stadt
| elevation              = 143
| area            = 114.76
| postal_code               = 07743–07751
| area_code           = 03641, 036425
| licence               = J
| Gemeindeschlüssel = 16 0 53 000
| website           = [https://www.jena.de/ www.jena.de]
| mayor             = [[Thomas Nitzsche]]<ref>[https://wahlen.thueringen.de/datenbank/wahl1/wahl.asp?wahlart=BM&wJahr=0000&zeigeErg=LAND&auswertung=2 Gewählte Bürgermeister - aktuelle Landesübersicht], Freistaat Thüringen. Retrieved 25 June 2024.</ref>
| leader_term       = 2024&ndash;30
| Bürgermeistertitel = Oberbürgermeister
| party            = FDP
}}

'''Jena''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|j|eɪ|n|ə}};<ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Jena}}</ref> {{IPA|de|ˈjeːna|lang|De-Jena.ogg}})<ref>{{cite book|last=Wells|first=John|author-link=John C. Wells|title=Longman Pronunciation Dictionary|publisher=Pearson Longman|edition=3rd|date=3 April 2008|isbn=978-1-4058-8118-0}}</ref> is a [[List of cities and towns in Germany|city]] in [[Germany]] and the second largest city in [[Thuringia]]. Together with the nearby cities of [[Erfurt]] and [[Weimar]], it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a population of about 110,000. Jena is a centre of education and research. The [[University of Jena]] (formally the Friedrich Schiller University) was founded in 1558 and had 18,000 students in 2017<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uni-jena.de/unijenamedia/unijena/kanzleramt/berichtswesen/Flyer%20Zahlen%20und%20Fakten/FSU_Zahlen_Fakten_Flyer_2017-p-29210.pdf |title=Facts and Figures 2017 |author=Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena |access-date=12 November 2018 |archive-date=12 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112181533/https://www.uni-jena.de/unijenamedia/unijena/kanzleramt/berichtswesen/Flyer%20Zahlen%20und%20Fakten/FSU_Zahlen_Fakten_Flyer_2017-p-29210.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the [[Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena]] serves another 5,000 students. Furthermore, there are many institutes of the leading German research societies.

Jena was first mentioned in 1182 and stayed a small town until the 19th century, when industry developed. For most of the 20th century, Jena was a world centre of the optical industry around companies such as [[Carl Zeiss AG|Carl Zeiss]], [[Schott AG|Schott]] and [[Jenoptik]] (since 1990). As one of only a few medium-sized cities in Germany, it has some high-rise buildings in the city centre, such as the [[JenTower]]. These also have their origin in the former Carl Zeiss factory.

Between 1790 and 1850, Jena was a focal point of the German [[Vormärz]] as well as of the student liberal and [[Unification of Germany|unification]] movement and [[German Romanticism]]. Notable persons of this period in Jena were [[Friedrich Schiller]], [[Alexander von Humboldt]],<ref>{{ cite book | last=Daum | first=Andreas W.|author-link=Andreas Daum | year=2024 | title=Alexander von Humboldt: A Concise Biography | location=Trans. Robert Savage. Princeton, N.J. | publisher=Princeton University Press |pages=42‒46 | isbn=978-0-691-24736-6 }}</ref> [[Johann Gottlieb Fichte]], [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel]], [[Novalis]], and [[August Wilhelm Schlegel]].

Jena's economy is largely built upon its high-technology infrastructure and research. The precision optical instruments industry is its leading branch to date, although software engineering, other digital businesses, and biotechnology are of growing importance. Furthermore, Jena is also a service hub for its regional environs.

Jena lies in a hilly landscape in the east of Thuringia, within the wide valley of the [[Saale]] river. Due to its rocky landscape, varied substrate and mixed forests, Jena is known in Germany for the wide variety of wild [[orchids]] which can be found within walking distance of the town.<ref>"[https://www.thueringen-entdecken.de/blog/jena-und-orchideen-ein-paradies-fuer-liebhaber-und-wandersleute/ Jena und Orchideen – Ein Paradies für Liebhaber und Wandersleute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924165236/https://www.thueringen-entdecken.de/blog/jena-und-orchideen-ein-paradies-fuer-liebhaber-und-wandersleute/ |date=24 September 2020 }}" {{in lang|de}}. ''Thüringen Entdecken''. thueringen-entdecken.de. Thüringer Tourismus (main tourist information office for the state of Thuringia). Retrieved 22 September 2019.</ref> Local nature reserves are maintained by volunteers and [[Naturschutzbund Deutschland|NABU]].

== History ==

=== Middle Ages ===
[[File:Lobdeburg near Jena by Night.jpg|thumb|Lobdeburg Castle above Lobeda district]]
Until the [[High Middle Ages]], the [[Saale]] was the border between [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] regions in the west and [[Slavs|Slavic]] regions in the east. Owing to its function as a river crossing, Jena was conveniently located. Nevertheless, there were also some more important Saale crossings such as the nearby cities of [[Naumburg (Saale)|Naumburg]] to the north and [[Saalfeld]] to the south, so that the relevance of Jena was more local during the Middle Ages. The first unequivocal mention of Jena was in an 1182 document. The first local rulers of the region were the Lords of [[Lobdeburg]] with their eponymous castle near [[Lobeda]], roughly {{convert|6|km|0|abbr=on}} south of the city centre on the eastern hillside of the Saale valley.{{fact|date=June 2025}}

In the 13th century, the Lords of Lobdeburg founded two towns in the valley: Jena on the west bank and Lobeda&nbsp;– which is one of Jena's constituent communities today&nbsp;– {{convert|4|km|0|abbr=on}} to the south on the east bank. Around 1230, Jena received town rights and a regular city grid was established between today's Fürstengraben, Löbdergraben, Teichgraben and Leutragraben. The city got a marketplace, main church, town hall, council and city walls during the late 13th and early 14th centuries making it into a full-fledged town. In this time, the city's economy was based mainly on wine production on the warm and sunny hillsides of the Saale valley. The two monasteries of the [[Dominican Order|Dominicans]] (1286) and the [[Cistercian]]s (1301) rounded out Jena's medieval appearance.{{fact|date=June 2025}}

As the political circumstances in Thuringia changed in the middle of the 14th century, the weakened Lords of Lobdeburg sold Jena to the aspiring [[House of Wettin|Wettins]] in 1331. Jena obtained the [[Gotha]] municipal law and the citizens strengthened their rights and wealth during the 14th and 15th centuries. Moreover, the Wettins were more interested in their residence in the nearby city of [[Weimar]], and so Jena could develop itself relatively autonomously.{{fact|date=June 2025}}

=== Early modern period ===
[[File:Jena (Merian).jpg|thumb|Jena in 1650]]
The [[Protestant Reformation]] was brought to the city in 1523. [[Martin Luther]] visited the town to reorganize the clerical relations and Jena became an early centre of his doctrine. In the following years, the Dominican and the [[Carmelites|Carmelite]] convents were attacked by the townsmen and abolished in 1525 (Carmelite) and 1548 (Dominican).

An important step in Jena's history was the foundation of the [[University of Jena|university]] in 1558. Ernestine Elector [[John Frederick, Elector of Saxony|John Frederick the Magnanimous]] founded it, because he had lost his old university in [[Wittenberg]] to the [[House of Wettin|Albertines]] after the [[Schmalkaldic War]]. During the [[Little Ice Age]], [[Viticulture|wine-growing]] declined in the 17th century, so that the new university became one of the most important sources of income for the city. The same century brought a boom in printing business caused by the rising importance of books (and the population's ability to read) in the Lutheran doctrine, and Jena was the second-largest printing location in Germany after [[Leipzig]].

The list of the so-called "[[Seven Wonders of Jena]]" was composed by students of the university at this time, supposedly as a test of local knowledge in order to confirm that a person who claimed to have studied in Jena was actually familiar with the city.

Beginning in the 16th century, the Ernestine dynasty saw many territorial partitions. Initially, Jena remained a part of [[Saxe-Weimar]], but in 1672 it became the capital of its own small duchy ([[Saxe-Jena]]). In 1692, after two dukes ([[Bernhard II, Duke of Saxe-Jena|Bernhard II]] and [[Johann Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Jena|Johann Wilhelm]]), the dukes of Saxe-Jena died out and the duchy became part of [[Saxe-Eisenach]] and, in 1741, of the [[Duchy of Saxe-Weimar]], to which it belonged until 1809. From 1809 to 1918, Jena was part of the Duchy (from 1815 Grand Duchy) of [[Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach]], which from 1871 was also part of the [[German Empire]].

=== 18th century ===
[[File:Napoleon.Jena.jpg|thumb|The battle of Jena in 1806]]
Around 1790, the university became the largest and most famous one among the German states and made Jena the centre of the self-centred, idealist philosophy of ‘Ich' (with professors such as [[Johann Gottlieb Fichte]], [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel]], [[Friedrich Schiller]], and [[Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling]]). It was also home to the early [[German Romanticism|Romanticism]] (with poets such as Novalis, the brothers [[August Wilhelm Schlegel|August]] and [[Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel|Friedrich Schlegel]], and [[Ludwig Tieck]]).<ref>Wulf, Andrea, ''[https://aeon.co/essays/english-romanticism-was-born-from-a-serious-germanomania The First Romantics]'', [[Aeon]], 20 December 2022</ref>

In 1794, the poets [[Goethe]] and [[Schiller]] met at the university and established a long lasting friendship, based on their love of Shakespeare. Consequently, the reputation of the University and the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach as liberal and open-minded, but severely self-absorbed, was established and enhanced.

=== 19th century ===
On 14&nbsp;October 1806, [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]] fought and defeated the [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussian]] army here in the [[Battle of Jena-Auerstedt]], near the district of Vierzehnheiligen. Resistance against the French occupation was strong, especially among the students. Many of the students fought in the [[Lützow Free Corps]] in 1813. Two years later, the [[Urburschenschaft]] fraternity was founded in the city.

During the later 19th century, the famous biologist [[Ernst Haeckel]] was professor at the university. The expansion of science and medicine faculties was closely linked to the industrial boom that Jena saw after 1871. The initial spark of industrialization in Jena was the (relatively late) connection to the railway. The [[Saal Railway]] (''Saalbahn'', opened in 1874) was the connection from [[Halle (Saale)|Halle]] and [[Leipzig]] along the Saale valley to [[Nuremberg]] and the [[Weimar–Gera railway]] (opened 1876) connected Jena with [[Frankfurt]] and [[Erfurt]] in the west as well as [[Dresden]] and [[Gera]] in the east. Famous pioneers of the Jenaer industry were [[Carl Zeiss]] and [[Ernst Abbe]] (with their [[Carl Zeiss AG]]) as well as [[Otto Schott]] ([[Schott AG]]).<ref>{{Cite book|last=Walter|first=Rolf|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fqPstAEACAAJ|title=Carl Zeiss: Zeiss 1905-1945|date=1996|publisher=Böhlau Verlag|isbn=978-3-412-11096-3|pages=18|language=de}}</ref> Since that time, production of optical items, precision machinery and laboratory glassware have been the main branches of Jena's economy; [[Jena glass]] is even named after the city. Zeiss, Abbe and Schott worked also as social reformers who wanted to improve the living conditions of their workers and the local wealth in general. When Zeiss died in 1889, his company passed to the [[Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung]], which uses great amounts of the company's profits for social benefits such as research projects at universities etc. This model became an example for other German companies (e.g. the [[Robert Bosch Stiftung]]). In 1898 it was agreed on with several personalities from the Jenaer industrial sector that the city was in need of an electricity generator<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Walter|first=Rolf|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fqPstAEACAAJ|title=Carl Zeiss: Zeiss 1905-1945|date=1996|publisher=Böhlau Verlag|isbn=978-3-412-11096-3|pages=25|language=de}}</ref> and in the first years of the 1900s an electrified tramway was founded in Jena.<ref name=":0" />

=== 20th century ===
[[File:Jena Zeiss Bau 15.jpg|thumb|Bau 15 of the Carl Zeiss factory, Germany's first high-rise building, established in 1915]]
Industrialization fundamentally changed the social structure of Jena. The former academic town became a working-class city; the population rose from 8,000 around 1870 up to 71,000 at the beginning of [[World War II]]. The city expanded along the Saale valley to the north and the south and its side valleys to the east and the west. In 1901, the [[tram]] system started its operation and the university got a new main building (established between 1906 and 1908 on the former castle's site). After the foundation of [[Thuringia]] in 1920, Jena was one of the three biggest cities (together with [[Weimar]] and [[Gera]], while [[Erfurt]] remained part of [[Free State of Prussia|Prussia]]) and became an [[independent city]] in 1922. The modern optical and glass industry kept booming and the city grew further during [[Weimar Republic|Weimar times]].

[[File:Jena 700 Jahre Stadt poster (1936).jpg|thumb|left|1936 poster marking the 700th anniversary of the city of Jena]]
During the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] period, conflicts deepened in Jena between the influential left-wing milieus (communists and social democrats) and the right-wing Nazi milieus. On the one hand, the university suffered from new restrictions against its independence, but on the other hand, it consolidated the Nazi ideology, for example with a professorship of social anthropology (which sought to scientifically legitimize the [[racial policy of Nazi Germany]]). [[Kristallnacht]] in 1938 led to more discrimination against [[Jew]]s in Jena, many of whom either emigrated or were arrested and murdered by the German government. This weakened the academic milieu, because many academics were Jews (especially in medicine). During [[World War II]], the Germans operated two [[List of subcamps of Buchenwald|subcamps]] of the [[Buchenwald concentration camp]] in the city,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tenhumbergreinhard.de/1933-1945-lager-1/1933-1945-lager-j/jena-leutrastrae-32.html|title=Jena Leutrastraße 32|access-date=21 February 2021|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tenhumbergreinhard.de/1933-1945-lager-1/1933-1945-lager-j/jena-loebstedter-strae-50.html|title=Jena Löbstedter Straße 50|access-date=21 February 2021|language=de}}</ref> and a subcamp of the prison in [[Sieradz]] in [[Occupation of Poland (1939–1945)|German-occupied Poland]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Studnicka-Mariańczyk|first=Karolina|year=2018|title=Zakład Karny w Sieradzu w okresie okupacji hitlerowskiej 1939–1945|journal=Zeszyty Historyczne|language=pl|volume=17|page=187}}</ref>

In 1945, toward the end of [[World War II]], Jena was repeatedly targeted by [[Strategic bombing during World War II|Allied bombing raids]]. 709 people were killed, 2,000 injured, and most of the medieval town centre was destroyed, but in parts restored after the end of the war. No other Thuringian city suffered worse damage, except [[Nordhausen, Thuringia|Nordhausen]], whose destruction was utter. Today most of the city consists of buildings from before World War II.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://zensus2011.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Aufsaetze_Archiv/2015_12_NI_GWZ_endgueltig.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4|title=Wayback Machine|website=zensus2011.de|accessdate=25 June 2025|archive-date=29 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329165923/https://zensus2011.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Publikationen/Aufsaetze_Archiv/2015_12_NI_GWZ_endgueltig.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=4|url-status=dead}}</ref> Jena was occupied by [[United States Armed Forces|American troops]] on 13 April 1945 and was left to the [[Red Army]] on 1 July 1945.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

Jena fell within the [[Occupation of Germany|Soviet zone of occupation]] in post-World War II Germany. In 1949, it became part of the new [[East Germany|German Democratic Republic]] (GDR). The Soviets dismantled great parts of the Zeiss and Schott factories and took them to the [[Soviet Union]]. On the other hand, the GDR government founded a new [[Pharmaceutical industry|pharmaceutical]] factory in 1950, [[Jenapharm]], which is part of [[Bayer]] today. In 1953, Jena was a centre of the [[Uprising of 1953 in East Germany|East German Uprising]] against GDR policy. The protests with 30,000 participants drew fire from Soviet [[tank]]s.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}

[[File:Der_Holzmarkt_in_der_Jenaer_Innenstadt.jpg|thumb|The "Holzmarkt" in the city centre]]
The following decades brought some radical shifts in city planning. During the 1960s, another part of the historic city centre was demolished to build the [[Jen Tower]]. The Eichplatz in front of the tower is still unbuilt and its future is still the subject of ongoing heated discussion. Big [[Plattenbau]] settlements were developed in the 1970s and 1980s, because the population was still rising and the housing shortage remained a perpetual problem. New districts established in the north (near Rautal) and in the south (around Winzerla and Lobeda). The opposition against the GDR government was reinforced during the late 1980s in Jena, fed by academic and clerical circles. In autumn 1989, the city saw the largest protests in its history before the GDR government was dissolved.

After 1990, Jena became part of the refounded state of [[Thuringia]]. Industry came into a heavy crisis during the 1990s, but finally it managed the transition to the [[market economy]] and today, it is one of the leading economic centres of eastern Germany. Furthermore, the university was enlarged and many new research institutes were founded.

Especially between 1995 and 1997 several far-right crimes were committed in Jena. The city's far-right scene of the 1990s gave rise to the [[National Socialist Underground]] (NSU) terror group. However, the city is no longer considered a far-right hotspot.

== Geography and demographics ==
{{Historical populations|1490|3,800|1784|4,366|1871|8,260|1900|20,677|1910|38,487|1919|48,847|1925|52,649|1933|58,357|1939|70,632|1950|80,309|1964|84,307|1970|88,130|1981|104,946|1991|100,967|2001|101,157|2011|105,739|2022|110,369|align=right|footnote=Population size may be affected by changes in administrative divisions.
source:<ref>[[:de:Einwohnerentwicklung von Jena|Link]]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zensus2022.de/EN/Census_results/_inhalt.html|title=Census results - Zensus 2022|website=www.zensus2022.de|accessdate=25 June 2025}}</ref>}}

=== Topography ===
[[File:Burgauer Brücke.jpg|thumb|left|The medieval bridge across the Saale in Burgau district]] 
Jena is situated in a hilly landscape in eastern Thuringia at the [[Saale]] river, between the [[Harz]] mountains {{convert|85|km|0|abbr=on}} in the north, the [[Thuringian Forest]]/[[Thuringian Highland]] {{convert|50|km|0|abbr=on}} in the southwest and the [[Ore Mountains]], {{convert|75|km|0|abbr=on}} in the southeast. The municipal terrain is hilly with rugged slopes at the valley's edges. The city centre is situated at 160 m of elevation, whereas the mountains on both sides of Saale valley rise up to 400 m. On the eastern side those are (from north to south): the ''Gleisberg'' near Kunitz, the ''Jenzig'' near Wogau, the ''Hausberg'' near Wenigenjena, the ''Kernberge'' near Wöllnitz, the ''[[Johannisberg (Jena-Lobeda)|Johannisberg]]'' near Lobeda and the ''Einsiedlerberg'' near Drackendorf. On the western side, there are the ''Jägersberg'' near [[Zwätzen]], the ''Windknollen'' north of the city centre, the ''Tatzend'' west of the city centre, the ''Lichtenhainer Höhe'' near Lichtenhain, the ''Holzberg'' near Winzerla, the ''Jagdberg'' near Göschwitz and the Spitzenberg near Maua. The mountains belong to the geological formation of Ilm Saale Plate ([[Muschelkalk]]) and are relatively flat on their peaks but steep to the valleys in between. Due to its jagged surface, the municipal territory isn't very suitable for agriculture all the more since the most flat areas along the valley were built on during the 20th century. At the mountains is some forest of different leaf trees and pines.

=== Ecology ===
32 species of native [[orchids]] can be found in the Jena area.<ref>[Thüringen Entdecken - Jena und Orchideen – Ein Paradies für Liebhaber und Wandersleute]</ref> One of the best places to see them is [[Naturschutzgebiet Leutratal und Cospoth|Leutratal]], to the south of the town. Bee orchid ''([[Ophrys apifera]]'') even grows at a few locations within the town. On the ''Hausberg'' close to Ziegenhain a few specimens of the rare true service tree (''[[Cormus domestica]]'') can be found. [[Firefly]] can be seen in the meadows in Paradiespark as well as a variety of native wildflowers. Wildlife on the surrounding mountains includes [[Common raven|raven]], [[sand lizard]] and [[wood ants]]. [[Grey heron|Heron]], [[Eurasian beaver|beaver]] and [[muskrat]] have been seen on the Saale, within the town. [[Pine marten]]s sometimes come into the town at night, from the mountains, to raid bins. It is documented that the [[European wildcat]] occurs near Jena.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2023-04-27|date=2019-11-05|language=de-DE|title=Schön und gefährdet: Den Wildkatzen bei Jena auf der Spur|url=https://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/regionen/jena/schoen-und-gefaehrdet-den-wildkatzen-bei-jena-auf-der-spur-id227562183.html|website=Thüringer Allgemeine}}<!-- auto-translated by Module:CS1 translator --></ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Cebulla |first=David |title=Die Rückkehr der Wildkatze |date=2020-04-17 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12117538/?ref_=nm_knf_t_3 |type=Documentary, Short |access-date=2023-05-16}}</ref>

=== Climate ===
Jena has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''; [[Trewartha climate classification|Trewartha]]: ''Dobk'').<ref name = koppen>{{cite journal| last = Kottek | first = M.|author2=J. Grieser |author3=C. Beck |author4=B. Rudolf |author5=F. Rubel | title = World Map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated| journal = Meteorol. Z.| volume =15 | pages =259–263| url =http://www.schweizerbart.de/resources/downloads/paper_free/55034.pdf| doi =10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130| access-date = 22 January 2013| year =2006| issue = 3| bibcode = 2006MetZe..15..259K}}</ref><ref name=Peel>{{cite journal | author=Peel, M. C. and Finlayson, B. L. and McMahon, T. A. | year=2007 | title= Updated world map of the Köppen–Geiger climate classification | journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume=11 | issue=5 | pages=1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 | bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P | url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html | issn = 1027-5606| doi-access=free }} ''(direct: [http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf Final Revised Paper])''</ref> Summers are warm and sometimes humid; winters are relatively cold. The city's topography creates a microclimate caused through the basin position with sometimes [[Inversion (meteorology)|inversion]] in winter (quite cold nights under {{convert|-20|C|F}}) and heat and inadequate air circulation in summer. Annual precipitation is {{convert|585|mm|in|sp=us}} with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Light snowfall mainly occurs from December through February, but snow cover does not usually remain for long. During the Middle Ages, Jena was famous for growing wine on its slopes. Nowadays, the next commercial wine-growing areas are situated {{convert|20|km|0|abbr=on}} down Saale river. Due to its distance to coastal areas and position in the Saale valley, wind speeds tend to be very low; predominant direction is SW.

The Jena weather station has recorded the following extreme values:<ref name=sklima/>
* Its highest temperature was {{convert|39.1|C|F}} on [[2022_European_heatwaves#July_heatwave_2|20 July 2022]].
* Its lowest temperature was {{convert|-30.6|C|F}} on 22 January 1850 and 2 February 1830.<!--
* In 1973 it had 205 days of snow cover.
* Its greatest depth of snow was {{convert|380|cm|in|abbr=on}} on 14 and 15 April 1970.
* Its highest measured wind speed was {{convert|263|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} on 24 November 1984.-->
* Its greatest annual precipitation was {{convert|849.7|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1882.
* Its least annual precipitation was {{convert|379.4|mm|in|abbr=on}} in 1911.
* The longest annual sunshine was 1928.8 hours in 2003.
* The shortest annual sunshine was 1108.6 hours in 1960.
{{Weather box
|location = Jena, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1821–present
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 17.0
|Feb record high C = 23.1
|Mar record high C = 25.9
|Apr record high C = 32.5
|May record high C = 36.1
|Jun record high C = 38.8
|Jul record high C = 39.1
|Aug record high C = 38.7
|Sep record high C = 36.5
|Oct record high C = 29.0
|Nov record high C = 23.1
|Dec record high C = 17.7
|year record high C = 39.1
|Jan avg record high C = 12.5
|Feb avg record high C = 14.5
|Mar avg record high C = 19.7
|Apr avg record high C = 25.2
|May avg record high C = 29.5
|Jun avg record high C = 32.6
|Jul avg record high C = 34.0
|Aug avg record high C = 33.8
|Sep avg record high C = 28.5
|Oct avg record high C = 23.2
|Nov avg record high C = 16.4
|Dec avg record high C = 13.0
|year avg record high C = 35.8
|Jan high C = 4.6
|Feb high C = 6.2
|Mar high C = 10.6
|Apr high C = 16.2
|May high C = 20.4
|Jun high C = 23.7
|Jul high C = 26.0
|Aug high C = 25.7
|Sep high C = 20.7
|Oct high C = 15.0
|Nov high C = 8.9
|Dec high C = 5.3
|year high C = 15.3
|Jan mean C = 1.7
|Feb mean C = 2.5
|Mar mean C = 5.7
|Apr mean C = 10.1
|May mean C = 14.3
|Jun mean C = 17.7
|Jul mean C = 19.7
|Aug mean C = 19.1
|Sep mean C = 14.6
|Oct mean C = 10.1
|Nov mean C = 5.6
|Dec mean C = 2.6
|year mean C = 10.3
|Jan low C = -1.2
|Feb low C = -1.0
|Mar low C = 1.5
|Apr low C = 4.5
|May low C = 8.4
|Jun low C = 12.0
|Jul low C = 14.0
|Aug low C = 13.6
|Sep low C = 9.9
|Oct low C = 6.1
|Nov low C = 2.6
|Dec low C = -0.1
|year low C = 5.9
|Jan avg record low C = -10.9
|Feb avg record low C = -9.2
|Mar avg record low C = -5.0
|Apr avg record low C = -1.6
|May avg record low C = 2.2
|Jun avg record low C = 6.6
|Jul avg record low C = 9.1
|Aug avg record low C = 8.0
|Sep avg record low C = 4.2
|Oct avg record low C = -0.8
|Nov avg record low C = -3.9
|Dec avg record low C = -8.7
|year avg record low C = -13.3
|Jan record low C = -30.6
|Feb record low C = -30.6
|Mar record low C = -24.0
|Apr record low C = -12.4
|May record low C = -5.1
|Jun record low C = 0.6
|Jul record low C = 3.7
|Aug record low C = 3.4
|Sep record low C = -4.4
|Oct record low C = -10.9
|Nov record low C = -24.6
|Dec record low C = -28.8
|year record low C = -30.6
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 35.3
|Feb precipitation mm = 30.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 41.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 36.9
|May precipitation mm = 61.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 54.8
|Jul precipitation mm = 85.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 67.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 50.8
|Oct precipitation mm = 41.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 47.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 42.8
|year precipitation mm = 595.6
|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 16.9
|Feb precipitation days = 14.7
|Mar precipitation days = 15.9
|Apr precipitation days = 12.5
|May precipitation days = 14.1
|Jun precipitation days = 13.9
|Jul precipitation days = 14.7
|Aug precipitation days = 13.6
|Sep precipitation days = 12.2
|Oct precipitation days = 14.1
|Nov precipitation days = 15.5
|Dec precipitation days = 17.4
|year precipitation days = 175.5
|Jan snow depth cm = 7.2
|Feb snow depth cm = 5.4
|Mar snow depth cm = 3.3
|Apr snow depth cm = 0.3
|May snow depth cm = 0
|Jun snow depth cm = 0
|Jul snow depth cm = 0
|Aug snow depth cm = 0
|Sep snow depth cm = 0
|Oct snow depth cm = 0.2
|Nov snow depth cm = 1.3
|Dec snow depth cm = 5.6
|year snow depth cm = 10.6
|humidity colour = green
|Jan humidity = 78.7
|Feb humidity = 75.2
|Mar humidity = 71.0
|Apr humidity = 66.0
|May humidity = 67.1
|Jun humidity = 67.2
|Jul humidity = 66.4
|Aug humidity = 68.4
|Sep humidity = 74.9
|Oct humidity = 79.3
|Nov humidity = 81.7
|Dec humidity = 80.6
|year humidity = 73.0
|Jan sun = 59.1
|Feb sun = 80.7
|Mar sun = 107.7
|Apr sun = 160.4
|May sun = 191.4
|Jun sun = 182.6
|Jul sun = 197.4
|Aug sun = 213.2
|Sep sun = 136.3
|Oct sun = 104.9
|Nov sun = 53.6
|Dec sun = 44.8
|year sun = 1532.1
|source 1 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] / SKlima.de<ref name=sklima>{{cite web 
|url = http://sklima.de/datenbank_auswertung.php?tab=2
|title = Monatsauswertung 
|website = sklima.de 
|publisher = SKlima 
|language = de 
|access-date = 11 October 2024}}</ref>
}}

=== Administrative division ===
Jena abuts the district of [[Saale-Holzland-Kreis|Saale-Holzland]] with the municipalities of [[Lehesten, Saale-Holzland|Lehesten]], [[Neuengönna]], and [[Golmsdorf]] in the north, [[Jenalöbnitz]], [[Großlöbichau]], and [[Schlöben]] in the east and [[Laasdorf]], [[Zöllnitz]], [[Sulza]], [[Rothenstein, Germany|Rothenstein]], [[Milda, Germany|Milda]], and [[Bucha, Saale-Holzland|Bucha]] in the south and the district of [[Weimarer Land]] with the municipalities of [[Döbritschen]], [[Großschwabhausen]], and [[Saaleplatte]] in the west.

The city is divided into 30 districts. The inner-city districts are Zentrum, Nord, West, Süd, Wenigenjena (east of Saale, incorporated in 1909), and Kernberge, other big districts are Lobeda (incorporated in 1946) and Winzerla (incorporated in 1922) in the south with large housing complexes.

Outlying districts are more rural in character:

{|
| valign="top" width="25%" |
* Ammerbach (incorporated 1922)
* Burgau (1922)
* Closewitz (1994)
* Cospeda (1994)
* Drackendorf (1994)
* Göschwitz (1969)
* Ilmnitz (1994) 
| valign="top" width="25%" |
* Isserstedt (1994)
* Jenaprießnitz/Wogau (1994)
* Krippendorf (1994)
* Kunitz/Laasan (1994)
* Leutra (1994)
* Lichtenhain (1913)
* Löbstedt (1922)
| valign="top" width="25%" |
* Lützeroda (1994)
* Maua (1994)
* Münchenroda/Remderoda (1994)
* Vierzehnheiligen (1994)
* Wöllnitz (1946)
* Ziegenhain (1913)
* Zwätzen (1922)
|}

=== Demographics ===
[[File:Einwohnerentwicklung von Jena.svg|thumb|Population development until 2017]]
{{Bar chart
| title = Ten largest groups of foreign residents<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://startseite.jena.de/de|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427063229/http://www.jena.de/statistik/bericht/bericht.php|url-status=dead|title=Startseite &#124; Jena Lichtstadt|archivedate=27 April 2013|website=startseite.jena.de|accessdate=25 June 2025}}</ref>
| label_type = Nationality
| data_type = Population (31 December 2017)
| float = right
| label1 = {{flag|Poland}}
| data1 = 800
| label2 = {{flag|Russia}}
| data2 = 585
| label3 = {{flag|India}}
| data3 = 540
| label4 = {{flag|Ukraine}}
| data4 = 500
}}
Over the centuries, Jena had mostly been a town of 4,000 to 5,000 inhabitants. The population growth began in the 19th century with an amount of 6,000 in 1840 and of 8,000 in 1870. Then, a demographic boom occurred with a population of 20,000 in 1900, 50,000 in 1920, 73,000 in 1940, 81,000 in 1960 and 104,000 in 1980. The peak was reached in 1988 with a population of 108,000. The bad economic situation in eastern Germany after the reunification resulted in a decline in population, which fell to 99,000 in 1998 before rising again to 107,000 in 2012.

The average population growth between 2009 and 2012 was approximately 0.47% p. a, whereas the population in bordering rural regions is shrinking with accelerating tendency. Suburbanization played only a small role in Jena. It occurred after the reunification for a short time in the 1990s, but most of the suburban areas were situated within the administrative city borders.

The birth surplus was 62 in 2012, or +0.6 per 1,000 inhabitants (Thuringian average: -4.5; national average: -2.4). The net migration rate was +4.0 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2012 (Thuringian average: -0.8; national average: +4.6).<ref>According to [http://www.tls.thueringen.de/startseite_hinweis.asp Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik]</ref> The most important regions of origin of Jena migrants are rural areas of Thuringia, [[Saxony-Anhalt]] and [[Saxony]] as well as foreign countries such as Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria.

Like many other eastern German cities, Jena has a small foreign-born population: circa 4.0% are non-Germans by citizenship and overall 6.2% are migrants (according to [[2011 EU census]]). Differing from the national average, the biggest groups of migrants in Jena are [[Russians in Germany|Russians]], [[Chinese people in Germany|Chinese]] and [[Ukrainians in Germany|Ukrainians]]. During recent years, the economic situation of the city has improved: the unemployment rate declined from 14% in 2005 to 7% in 2013. Due to the official policy of atheism in the former [[East Germany|GDR]], most of the population is non-religious. 15.9% are members of the [[Evangelical Church in Central Germany]] and 6.6% are Catholics (according to 2011 EU census).

== Culture, sights and cityscape ==
[[File:Am Eichplatz. Auf dem Bild sieht man die "Neue Mitte", dahinter ebenfalls ein Wolkenkratzer, das "b59"..jpg|thumb|The  "Neue Mitte" shopping mall beneath the [[Jen Tower]] and the "b59" skyscraper in the background]]

=== Museums ===
Jena has a great variety of museums:
* The ''[[Optical Museum Jena]]'' at Carl-Zeiß-Platz shows the history of optical instruments such as glasses, microscopes, cameras, and telescopes.  
* The ''[[Jena Phyletic Museum|Phyletisches Museum]]'' at Neutor hosts a natural history exhibition with focus on evolution and fossils. 
* The ''Stadtmuseum & Kunstsammlung'' at Markt square shows the city history of Jena and hosts furthermore an exhibition of modern and contemporary art.  
* The ''Botanischer Garten'' (botanic garden) at Fürstengraben is one of the oldest botanic gardens in Germany (established in 1794) and hosts 12,000 plants from all over the world. 
* The ''Romantikerhaus'' at Unterm Markt street hosts an exhibition about the epoque of [[Jena romantics]] in German literature. 
* ''Schillers Gartenhaus'' at Schillergässchen is the former summer house of [[Friedrich Schiller]] and shows an exhibition of his life and his connection to Jena.
* The ''Goethe-Gedenkstätte'' at Fürstengraben shows an exhibition about the links between [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]] and Jena (only in summer).
* The ''[[Ernst-Haeckel-Haus]]'' at Berggasse is the former house of biologist [[Ernst Haeckel]] and hosts an exhibition about his life. 
* The ''Schott Glasmuseum'' at Otto-Schott-Straße shows the life of [[Otto Schott]] and the history of his glass factory, the [[Schott AG]]. 
* The ''Museum 1806'' at Cospeda district hosts an exhibition about the [[Battle of Jena–Auerstedt]] during the Napoleonic wars. 
* The University of Jena hosts some important scientific collections, like [[The Collection of Pre- and Protohistoric Artifacts at the University of Jena|the collection of pre- and protohistoric artifacts]]. While the collections of antiques and minerals are public, the [[Oriental Coin Cabinet Jena|oriental coins]] are only accessed for research.

====Image gallery====
<gallery>
File:Optisches Museum Jena.jpg|Optisches Museum
File:Phyletisches Museum in July 2012.jpg|Phyletisches Museum
File:GöhreJena01.JPG|Stadtmuseum
File:Romantikerhaus Jena.jpg|Romantikerhaus
File:Schillers-Gartenhaus01.JPG|Schillers Gartenhaus
File:Jena - botanical garden 08 (aka).jpg|Botanischer Garten
File:Cospeda.jpg|Museum 1806 in Cospeda
</gallery>

=== Cityscape ===
Most of the city consists of buildings from before World War II. The historic city centre is located inside the former wall (which is the area between Fürstengraben in the north, Löbdergraben in the east, Teichgraben in the south and Leutragraben in the west). There are only a few historic buildings in this area (e.g. at Oberlauengasse), due to the destruction during World War II and modernization projects in the following decades. The Eichplatz, a big sub-used square covering a large amount of the centre, has not been built on since the 1960s and the discussion about its future is still in process. The wall's defortification took place relatively early in the 18th century – and the first suburbs developed in front of the former city gates. In these areas, some historic building structures from the 18th and early 19th century remained in western Bachstraße and Wagnergasse, in northern Zwätzengasse and in southern Neugasse.

The later 19th and early 20th centuries brought a construction boom to Jena, with the city enlarged to the north and south along the Saale valley, to the west along ''Mühltal'' and on the Saale's east side in former Wenigenjena. Compared with the city centre, later substantial losses were much slighter in this areas. During the interwar period, the construction of flats stayed on a high level but suitable ground got less, so that new housing complexes were set up relatively far away from the centre – a problem that remained until today with long journeys and high rents as consequences. Today's Jena is not as compact as other cities in the region, and urban planning is still a challenge.

A peculiarity of Jena is the presence of a second old town centre with a market square, town hall, and castle in the former town of Lobeda, which is a district since 1946, located approximately {{convert|4|km|0|abbr=on}} to the south of Jena's centre.

=== Sights and architectural heritage ===

==== Churches ====
* The main church, St. Michael's, is one of the biggest [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] monuments in Thuringia and was built between 1422 and 1557. It has a bronze slab of [[Martin Luther]]'s tomb.  
* The St. John's Church was the church of the extinct village ''Leutra'' west of Jena and later used as the city's cemetery chapel. Since 1811, the Gothic building is the catholic church of Jena. 
* The Peace Church was built between 1686 and 1693 as new cemetery chapel and is a [[Baroque]] evangelical church today.
* The Schiller Church east of Saale river is the evangelical parish church of the former village and today's quarter Wenigenjena. [[Friedrich Schiller]] married here in 1790. 
* The St. Peter's Church is the former city church of Jena's southern district Lobeda. The Gothic church was built around 1480. 
* The parish church of Vierzehnheiligen (dedicated to the [[Fourteen Holy Helpers]]) is a Gothic-style former pilgrimage church established during the 1460s. 
* The St. Mary's Church in Ziegenhain is a former pilgrimage church in Gothic style, built in the 15th century.

<gallery>
File:Stadtkirche St. Michael in Jena 2008-05-24.jpg|Main church St. Michael
File:St. Johannes Baptist.JPG|St. John's Church
File:Friedenskirche, Jena.jpg|Peace Church
File:SchillerkircheJena01.JPG|Schiller Church
File:Kirche Lobeda.JPG|Church of Lobeda
File:Kirche Vierzehnheiligen.JPG|Church of Vierzehnheiligen
File:Jena - Ziegenhain 02.jpg|Church of Ziegenhain
</gallery>

==== Other sights ====
* The medieval city wall is preserved in parts (''Anatomieturm'' and ''Roter Turm''), the largest one is the complex around Johannistor and Pulverturm near Johannisplatz.  
* The town hall at Markt square was built around 1412 and is one of only few Gothic town halls in Germany. It has an astronomical clock featuring the "Snatching Hans" ("''Schnapphans''").
* The [[Planetarium Jena|planetarium]] opened in 1926 and was the first large planetarium in the world, with [[Zeiss projector|technology developed by Carl Zeiss]]. 
* The University Main Building stands at the former castle's place and was established in 1908 in early-modern style ([[Theodor Fischer]]/[[Bruno Taut]]). 
* The ''Abbeanum'' is a university building by [[Ernst Neufert]] in [[Bauhaus]] style, built in 1930. 
* The [[Jen Tower]] is the city's highest skyscraper, built between 1969 and 1972, with a viewing platform and a sky restaurant. 
* The ''Haus Auerbach'' is the former house of physicist [[Felix Auerbach]], built by [[Walter Gropius]] and [[Adolf Meyer (architect)|Adolf Meyer]] in [[Bauhaus]] style in 1924. Near is the ''Haus Zuckerkandl'', another mansion built by Gropius in 1929.
* The former Carl Zeiss Factory in the city centre hosts interesting technical architecture from the period between 1880 and 1965, including Germany's first high-rise building, the ''Bau 15'' from 1915.  
* The monument to John Frederick the Magnanimous (built in 1858) at the Markt square is a landmark of Jena called "Hanfried". 
* The monument to [[Ernst Abbe]] is a building of early-modern architecture by [[Henry van de Velde]] (1910). 
* The Lobdeburg is a castle ruin above Lobeda district and the former seat of the lords of Lobdeburg, founders of Jena.
* [[Naturschutzgebiet Leutratal und Cospoth]] is an important nature reserve to the southwest.

<gallery>
File:Jena Johannistor.jpg|Johannistor, medieval city gate
File:Rathaus Jena.JPG|Town hall
File:Zeiss-Planetarium 1926 Ernst-Abbe-Stiftung - Jena Thüringen Foto Wolfgang Pehlemann Steinberg PICT0028.jpg|Planetarium
File:Universitäts Hauptgebäude. Jena.jpg|University Main Building
File:Ernst-Abbe Memorial 2.Jena.jpg|Ernst Abbe Monument
File:Pulverturm und Uniturm.jpg|Pulverturm at night
File:JenTower Jena.jpg|Jen Tower
</gallery>

=== Theatre and music ===
Jena has its own theatre and orchestra, the [[Jenaer Philharmonie]].

=== Sports ===
Jena is home to professional football club [[FC Carl Zeiss Jena]]. The club won the [[DDR-Oberliga]] three times, the [[FDGB Cup]] four times, and reached the final of the [[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]] once. Post-unification the club have been less successful and they currently compete in [[Regionalliga Nordost]]. In women's football, [[FF USV Jena]] is a member of the [[2. Frauen-Bundesliga]]. Both clubs' home stadium is the [[Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld]]. Also, the city's basketball team, [[Science City Jena]] played in [[Basketball Bundesliga]] in 2007–2008 season and returned to top level in 2015–16 season. In addition, since 2000, the university of Jena has a rugby team. Since 2012, the [[USV Rugby Jena]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usvjena.de/rugby.html|title=USV Jena: Rugby|first=USV Jena|last=e.V.|website=www.usvjena.de|access-date=8 June 2017|archive-date=9 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609182757/http://www.usvjena.de/rugby.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> team has been playing in the [[2. Rugby-Bundesliga]].

Current men's [[javelin throw]] world record (98.48) by [[Jan Železný]] was achieved in Jena.

== Economy and infrastructure ==

=== Agriculture, industry and services ===
[[File:Das höchste Bürogebäude Ostdeutschlands - der fast 160m hohe Jentower.jpg|thumb|The [[Jen Tower]] is a symbol of East Germany's economy]]
Agriculture plays a small role in Jena, only 40% of the municipal territory are in use for farming (compared to over 60% in [[Erfurt]] and nearly 50% in [[Weimar]]). Furthermore, the [[Muschelkalk]] soil is not very fertile and is often used as pasture for cattle. The only large agricultural area is situated around Isserstedt, Cospeda and Vierzehnheiligen district in the northwest. Wine-growing was discontinued during the [[Little Ice Age]] around 1800, but is now possible again due to [[global warming]]. Nevertheless, the commercial production of wine hasn't yet resumed.

Industry is a great tradition in Jena, reaching back to the mid-19th century. In 2012, there were 80 companies in industrial production with more than 20 workers employing 8,300 persons and generating a turnover of more than 1,5 billion Euro.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tls.thueringen.de/datenbank/TabAnzeige.asp?tabelle=gg000602|title=Thüringer Landesamt für Statistik|first=Thüringer Landesamt für|last=Statistik|website=www.tls.thueringen.de}}</ref> The most important branches are precision machinery, pharmaceuticals, optics, biotechnology and software engineering. Notable companies in Jena are the traditional [[Carl Zeiss AG]], [[Schott AG]], [[Jenoptik]] and [[Jenapharm]] as well as new companies such as [[Intershop Communications]], [[Analytik Jena]], and [[Carl Zeiss Meditec]]. Jena has the most market-listed companies and is one of the most important economic centres of east Germany.

With companies such as Intershop Communications, [[Salesforce.com]] (after the acquisition of [[Demandware]]) and [[ePages]] as well as several web agencies, Jena is a hub for [[E-commerce]] in Germany. Other IT players with regional offices include [[Accenture]] or [[ESET]]. [[Jena-Optronik]], a subsidiary of the [[Airbus Group]], develops components for spaceflight or satellites in Jena.

The city is among Germany's 50 fastest growing regions, with many internationally renowned research institutes and companies, a comparatively low unemployment and a young population structure. Jena was awarded the title "Stadt der Wissenschaft" (city of science) by the ''Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft'', a German science association, in 2008.

Jena is also a hub of public and private services, specially in education, research and business services. Other important institutions are the High Court of Thuringia and Thuringia's solely university hospital. Furthermore, Jena is a regional centre in infrastructure and retail with many shopping centres.

Together with the photonics lab [https://www.uni-jena.de/Forschungsmeldungen/FM170324_Open_Innovation_Photonik.html Lichtwerkstatt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204124033/https://www.uni-jena.de/Forschungsmeldungen/FM170324_Open_Innovation_Photonik.html |date=4 February 2018 }} and the Krautspace there are [[makerspace]]s and [[hackerspace]]s enabling start-ups to create their product ideas and realizing their first prototype and business models as well as networking.

=== Transport ===

==== By rail ====
[[File:13-05-03-jena-by-RalfR-93.jpg|thumb|Paradies station]]
Jena has no central railway station with connection to all the lines at one point. What is relatively common in many countries is quite unusual for a German city and caused on the one hand by the city's difficult topography and on the other hand by the history, because the two main lines were built by two different private companies. The connection in north–south direction is the [[Saal Railway]] with [[Intercity-Express|ICE]] trains running from [[Berlin]] in the north to [[Munich]] in the south once a day stopping at [[Jena Paradies station|Paradies station]] and local trains to [[Naumburg (Saale)|Naumburg]] and [[Saalfeld]] stopping at [[Jena-Zwätzen station|Zwätzen]], [[Jena Saale station|Saalbahnhof]], Paradies and [[Jena-Göschwitz station|Göschwitz]]. The connection in west–east direction is the [[Weimar–Gera railway]] with regional express trains to [[Göttingen]] (via [[Erfurt]] and [[Weimar]]) and [[Zwickau]], [[Glauchau]], [[Altenburg]] or [[Greiz]] (via [[Gera]]) and local trains between Weimar, Jena and Gera. The express trains stop at [[Jena West station|West station]] near the city centre and Göschwitz, the local trains furthermore at [[Neue Schenke]]. The junction between both lines is the [[Jena-Göschwitz station|Göschwitz station]], approx. {{convert|5|km|0|abbr=on}} south of the city centre.

When the [[Nuremberg–Erfurt high-speed railway]] opened in 2017, the city lost its connection to the long-distance train network. As compensation, there are new regional express train services to [[Halle (Saale)|Halle]] and [[Leipzig]] in the north, and to [[Nuremberg]] in the south.

==== By road ====
The two [[German autobahns|Autobahnen]] crossing each other nearby at ''Hermsdorf junction'' are the [[Bundesautobahn 4]] (Frankfurt–Dresden) and the [[Bundesautobahn 9]] (Berlin–Munich), which were both built during the 1930s. The A 4 runs quite next to the Lobeda housing complexes and the Leutra district. Therefore, it was rebuilt in the 2000s and got two tunnels to protect the residents and the environment against noise and air pollution. Furthermore, there are two [[Bundesstraße]]n crossing in Jena: the [[Bundesstraße 7]] is a connection to [[Weimar]] in the west and [[Gera]] in the east and the [[Bundesstraße 88]] is a connection along Saale valley to [[Naumburg (Saale)|Naumburg]] in the north and [[Rudolstadt]] in the south. Furthermore, there are some roads to [[Apolda]] via Isserstedt, [[Blankenhain]] via Ammerbach and [[Stadtroda]] via Lobeda. Most parts of city centre inside the former walls are pedestrian areas.

==== By air ====
The nearest airports to Jena are [[Erfurt–Weimar Airport]], approx. {{convert|50|km|0|abbr=on}} to the west and [[Leipzig/Halle Airport]], approx. {{convert|80|km|0|abbr=on}} to the northeast, which both serve mostly holiday flights to the Mediterranean and other holiday destinations. The nearest major airports are [[Frankfurt Airport]], [[Berlin Brandenburg Airport]] and [[Munich Airport]].

==== By bike ====
Despite the hilly terrain in some parts, Jena is a cycling city thanks to its large student population. Cycling has become more popular since the 1990s when good quality bike paths began to be built. There are bike lanes along some main roads, though cycling infrastructure is less developed compared with what exists in other German cities.

For [[bicycle touring]] there is the "Saale cycle route" ({{langx|de|Saale-Radweg}}) and the "Towns of Thuringia cycle route" ({{langx|de|Radweg Thüringer Städtekette}}). Both of these connect points of tourist interest: the former along the [[Saale]] valley from [[Fichtel Mountains]] in Bavaria to the [[Elbe]] river near [[Magdeburg]], while the latter follows the medieval [[Via Regia]] closely and runs from [[Eisenach]] via [[Erfurt]], [[Weimar]] and Jena to [[Altenburg]] via [[Gera]].

==== Trams and buses ====
[[File:13-05-03-jena-by-RalfR-04.jpg|thumb|A tram near Jena Paradies Station]]
The [[Trams in Jena|Jena tramway network]] was established in 1901 and enlarged after German reunification. It connects the major districts with the city centre; there are 5 ordinary lines served in different intervals between 7.5 and 20 minutes. Nevertheless, there are some old single-track segments interfering the services. Furthermore, there is an extensive network of buses, run (such as the trams) by the "Jenah" organization, a pun on Jena and the German {{lang|de|text= Nahverkehr}} lit. 'public transport'. Buses of the JES Verkehrsgesellschaft connect Jena with cities and villages in the region.

=== Education and research ===
[[File:Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Hauptgebäude, Jena.jpg|thumb|[[University of Jena]]]]
[[File:ThULB 2011.jpg|thumb|University Library]]
After reunification, the educational system was realigned. The [[University of Jena]], established in 1558, was largely extended. Today there are approximately 21,000 students at this university. Another college is the [[Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena]], a [[Fachhochschule|University of Applied Sciences]] founded in 1991 which offers a combination of scientific training and its practical applications. There are also nearly 5,000 students.

Further there are six [[Gymnasium (Germany)|Gymnasium]]s, five state-owned and one Christian (ecumenical). One of the state-owned is a ''Sportgymnasium'', an elite boarding school for young talents in athletics or football. Another state-owned Gymnasium (the [[Carl-Zeiss-Gymnasium Jena]]) offers a focus in sciences also as an elite boarding school additionally to the common curriculum.

The various research institutes based in Jena include: 
* The [[Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology]] is an important research center and offers a Ph.D. program
* The [[Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History]]
* The [[Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry]]
* The [[IPHT Jena|Institute of Photonic Technology]]
* The [[Fraunhofer Society|Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering (IOF)]]
* The [[Leibniz Institute for Age Research]], a research center with a Ph.D. program
* INNOVENT - a private research center
* The Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology
* Friedrich-Löffler-Institute of Bacterial Infections and Zoonoses
* Friedrich-Löffler-Institute of Molecular Pathogenesis
* The Jena Center for Bioinformatics

== Quality of life ==
In 2013, according to a study by Kieler Institut für Weltwirtschaft, Jena was ranked as the fifth-most livable city in Germany.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/leben/land-und-leute/studie-lebensqualitaet-in-jena-ist-deutlich-hoeher-als-in-erfurt-id219170179.html|title = Studie: Lebensqualität in Jena ist deutlich höher als in Erfurt|date = 15 March 2013}}</ref>

According to the 2019 study by Forschungsinstitut Prognos, Jena is one of the most dynamic regions in Germany. It ranks at number 29 of all 401 German regions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lvz.de/Region/Mitteldeutschland/Zukunftsatlas-Leipzig-ist-dynamischste-Region-Deutschlands|title=Zukunftsatlas: Leipzig ist dynamischste Region Deutschlands|date=5 July 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/zukunftsatlas-2019-das-sind-die-deutschen-regionen-mit-den-besten-zukunftsaussichten/24521120.html?ticket=ST-3806664-5hfyslJCccFncxkiBERA-ap3|title = Zukunftsatlas 2019: Das sind die deutschen Regionen mit den besten Zukunftsaussichten}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://standort-sachsen.de/de/aktuelles|title=Aktuelles & Recherche|website=Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen|accessdate=25 June 2025}}</ref>

== Politics ==

=== Mayor and city council ===
The first freely elected mayor after German reunification was [[Peter Röhlinger]] of the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP), who served from 1990 to 2006. In 2006 he was succeeded by [[Albrecht Schröter]] of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD). Schröter was defeated seeking re-election in 2018 by [[Thomas Nitzsche]] of the FDP, who has since served as mayor. The most recent mayoral election was held on 26 May 2024, with a runoff held on 9 June, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! rowspan=2 colspan=2| Candidate
! rowspan=2| Party
! colspan=2| First round
! colspan=2| Second round
|-
! Votes
! %
! Votes
! %
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Thomas Nitzsche]]
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]]
| 13,185
| 25.3
| 30,835
| 61.8
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| Kathleen Lützkendorf
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]]
| 8,012
| 15.4
| 19,028
| 38.2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| Jens Thomas
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]]
| 6,960
| 13.4
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Denny Jankowski]]
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]]
| 6,588
| 12.7
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Stephan Wydra
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]]
| 6,274
| 12.1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| Johannes Schleußner
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]]
| 6,110
| 11.7
|-
| 
| align=left| Ulf Weißleder
| align=left| Citizens for Jena
| 3,913
| 7.5
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Independent politician}}| 
| align=left| Peter Gutjahr
| align=left| [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| 982
| 1.9
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 52,024
! 99.3
! 49,863
! 95.8
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid votes
! 359
! 0.7
! 2,211
! 4.2
|-
! colspan=3| Total
! 52,383
! 100.0
! 52,074
! 100.0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 82,605
! 63.4
! 82,408
! 63.2
|-
| colspan=7| Source: [https://wahlen.jena.de/de/oberbuergermeisterwahlen Wahlen Jena]
|}

The most recent city council election was held on 26 May 2024, and the results were as follows:

{{election table}}
! colspan=2| Party
! Lead candidate
! Votes
! %
! +/-
! Seats
! +/-
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Christian Democratic Union of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Christian Democratic Union of Germany|Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU)
| align=left| Guntram Wothly
| 25,479
| 16.9
| {{increase}} 4.3
| 8
| {{increase}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|The Left (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[The Left (Germany)|The Left]] (Die Linke)
| align=left| Jens Thomas
| 25,354
| 16.8
| {{decrease}} 3.6
| 8
| {{decrease}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alliance 90/The Greens}}| 
| align=left| [[Alliance 90/The Greens]] (Grüne)
| align=left| Kathleen Lützkendorf
| 22,966
| 15.2
| {{decrease}} 4.2
| 7
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Alternative for Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Alternative for Germany]] (AfD)
| align=left| [[Denny Jankowski]]
| 20,149
| 13.4
| {{increase}} 3.4
| 6
| {{increase}} 1
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Social Democratic Party of Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]] (SPD)
| align=left| Johannes Schleußner
| 19,622
| 13.0
| {{increase}} 0.4
| 6
| {{steady}} 0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Free Democratic Party (Germany)}}| 
| align=left| [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]] (FDP)
| align=left| Thomas Nitzsche
| 13,590
| 9.0
| {{decrease}} 3.8
| 4
| {{decrease}} 2
|-
| 
| align=left| Citizens for Jena (BfJ)
| align=left| Jürgen Häkanson-Hall
| 10,456
| 6.9
| {{decrease}} 0.6
| 3
| {{steady}} 0
|-
| bgcolor={{party color|Volt Germany}}| 
| align=left| [[Volt Germany]]
| align=left| Johanna Grenzer
| 7,843
| 5.2
| New
| 2
| New
|-
| 
| align=left| Citizens for Thuringia/[[Grassroots Democratic Party of Germany|dieBasis]]
| align=left| Peter Faesel
| 2,823
| 1.9
| New
| 1
| New
|-
| 
| align=left| Free Voters Jena
| align=left| Bertram Pelzer
| 2,452
| 1.6
| {{decrease}} 1.8
| 1
| {{steady}} 0
|-
! colspan=3| Valid votes
! 150,734
! 100.0
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=3| Invalid ballots
! 1,521
! 2.9
! 
! 
! 
|-
! colspan=3| Total ballots
! 52,054
! 100.0
! 
! 46
! ±0
|-
! colspan=3| Electorate/voter turnout
! 82,605
! 63.0
! {{decrease}} 0.1
! 
! 
|-
| colspan=8| Source: [https://wahlen.thueringen.de/datenbank/wahl1/wahl.asp?wahlart=KW&wJahr=2024&zeigeErg=WK&wknr=053 Wahlen in Thüringen]
|}

== Sister cities ==
Jena's sister cities include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Relations {{!}} Jena International |url=https://international.jena.de/en/international%20relations |access-date=2025-09-19 |website=international.jena.de |language=en}}</ref>

*{{Flag icon|China}} [[Panyu, Guangzhou]], China
*{{Flag icon|France}} [[Aubervilliers]], France
*{{Flag icon|France}} [[Plomeur]], France
*{{Flag icon|Germany}} [[Erlangen]], Germany
*{{Flag icon|Nicaragua}} [[San Marcos, Carazo|San Marcos]], Nicaragua
*{{Flag icon|Palestine}} [[Beit Jala]], Palestine<ref>{{Cite web |title=Twinning Agreements - Beit Jala Municipality {{!}} بلدية بيت جالا |url=https://www.beitjala-city.org/en/beit-jala-municipality/twinning-agreements |access-date=2025-09-19 |website=www.beitjala-city.org}}</ref>
*{{Flag icon|Portugal}} [[Porto]], Portugal
*{{Flag icon|Romania}} [[Lugoj]], Romania
*{{Flag icon|Russia}} [[Vladimir, Russia]]
*{{Flag icon|United States}} [[Berkeley, California]], United States

==Notable people==
[[File:Prince Bernhard 1942cr.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld]] in 1942]]
* [[Ernst Abbe]] (1840–1905), physicist, social reformer, partner of [[Carl Zeiss]] and [[Otto Schott]]
* [[Andreas Bauer Kanabas]], classical bass
* [[Johannes R. Becher]] (1891–1958), poet and politician
* [[Hans Berger]], discoverer of human EEG
* [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld]] (1911-2004), prince consort of the Netherlands
* [[Johann Friedrich Blumenbach]], naturalist, doctor, comparative anatomist, and physiologist
* [[Walter von Boetticher]] (1853–1945), historian, and physician, studied medicine at Jena
* [[Martin Dwars]] (born 1987), retired footballer (goalkeeper)
* [[Johann Gottfried Eichhorn]] (1752–1827), orientalist and Protestant theologian of the Enlightenment
* [[Robert Enke]] (1977–2009), footballer (goalkeeper)
* [[Walter Eucken]] (1891–1950), founder of neoliberal economic theory
* [[Rudolf Christoph Eucken]] (1846–1926), philosopher and winner of the 1908 [[Nobel Prize for Literature]]
* [[Johann Gottlieb Fichte]], philosopher and early German nationalist
* [[Gottlob Frege]] (1848–1925), mathematician, logician, and philosopher
* [[Friedrich Fröbel|Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel]], inventor of the kindergarten
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]] (1749–1832), poet and writer
* [[John B. Goodenough]] (1922–2023), materials scientist, solid-state physicist, and Nobel laureate in chemistry 
* [[Klara Griefahn]] (1897–1945), physician<ref>{{Cite web|title=Geburtshilfe nach jüdischer Ärztin benannt|url=https://www.jenaer-nachrichten.de/stadtleben/7543-geburtshilfe-nach-jüdischer-ärztin-benannt|last=Schleenvoigt|first=Anke|date=9 November 2017|website=Jenaer Nachrichten|access-date=21 May 2020}}</ref>
* [[Otto Günsche]] (1917–2003), commander in the Waffen-SS during the Second World War
* [[Ernst Haeckel]] (1834–1919), evolutionary biologist and zoologist
* [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|G. W. F. Hegel]] (1770–1831), philosopher
* [[Friedrich Hölderlin]] (1770–1843), poet
* [[Albert Woldemar Hollander]] (1796–1868), educator and pedagog
* [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz]] (1646–1716), polymath and philosopher
* [[Martin Luther]] (1483–1546), professor of theology, priest, author, composer, Augustinian friar, and seminal figure in the Reformation
* [[August Eduard Martin]] (1847–1933), obstetrician and gynecologist<ref>[http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd11925493X.html  Martin, August Eduard] In: Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB). Band 16, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1990, {{ISBN|3-428-00197-4}}, S. 284 f.</ref>
* [[Karl Marx]] (1818–1883), philosopher and economist
* [[Tilo Medek]] (1940–2006), composer
* [[Philipp Melanchthon]], theologian
* [[Johann Karl August Musäus]] (1735–1787), author
* [[Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche]] (1844–1900), philosopher
* [[Novalis]] (1772–1801), poet
* [[Max Reger]], composer, pianist, professor, and conductor
* [[Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling|Friedrich Schelling]], philosopher
* [[Friedrich Schiller]], poet and writer
* [[Karoline Schelling|Caroline Böhmer Schlegel Schelling]], Universitätsmamsell and Jena Romanticist intellectual
* [[Stefan Schuster]], professor of bioinformatics at the University of Jena
* [[August Wilhelm von Schlegel|Wilhelm Schlegel]], philosopher
* [[Sahra Wagenknecht]] (born 1969), German politician
* [[Bernd Schneider (footballer)|Bernd Schneider]] (born 1973), footballer
* [[Otto Schott]], inventor of fireproof glass, founder of the Schott glass works
* [[Reinhard Johannes Sorge]], poet, dramatist, and [[Roman Catholic]] convert
* [[Johann Gustav Stickel]], orientalist
* [[Kurt Tucholsky]], writer
* [[Tim Wuttke]], (born 1987), retired footballer
* [[Carl Zeiss]] (1816–1888), founder of the Zeiss company
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
{{Wikivoyage|Jena}}
* {{Official website}} {{in lang|de|en}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Jena |short=x}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Jena
|North     = [[Sangerhausen]]
|Northeast = [[Halle (Saale)|Halle]] — [[Leipzig]] <br />[[Naumburg (Saale)|Naumburg]]
|East      = [[Gera]] — [[Chemnitz]] — [[Dresden]]
|Southeast = [[Plauen]]
|South     = [[Hof, Bavaria|Hof]]
|Southwest = [[Rudolstadt]] <br /> [[Saalfeld]]
|West      = [[Erfurt]] — [[Weimar]]
|Northwest = [[Nordhausen, Thuringia|Nordhausen]]
}}
{{Cities in Germany}}
{{Cities in Thuringia}}
{{Germany districts thuringia}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Jena| ]]
[[Category:Holocaust locations in Germany]]
[[Category:Urban districts of Thuringia]]