21st century

January: A report on the involvement of Jussuf Ibrahim, a highly respected pediatrician in Jena , in medical crimes against disabled children during the Nazi era sets the "Ibrahim debate" in motion. The discussions, some of which were very emotionally heated and supported by a broad public, led to a divided assessment of Ibrahim as a person . A commission set up by the university (November) confirms the accusation of Ibrahim's involvement in "child euthanasia". The Jena Children's Hospital takes off his name, other institutions named after Ibrahim follow. The city council does not officially revoke the honorary citizenship awarded to Ibrahim in 1947, as it would expire anyway after his death.

January 1: Stadtwerke Jena and Pößneck merge to form Stadtwerke Energie Jena-Pößneck GmbH. The company moves to its new headquarters at Rudolstädter Straße 39. In 2002, the municipal utilities acquire 94% of the shares in jenawohnen, Jena's largest housing company.

January 30: For the first time, an Intercity Express is operated on the Berlin - Munich route via Jena. The stop in Jena is a temporary station consisting of wooden platforms near the old Paradies station. Discussions about a new intercity station in Jena have been going on for some time.

March/April: Hydropower plants at the Paradies and Rasenmühlen weirs go into operation.

May 26: The external reconstruction of the town church reaches its final climax with the erection of the new Renaissance spire. The restoration work, supported by the Jenaer Kirchbauverein e. V., founded in 1996, had begun in 1998.

May 28: In the run-off election for Lord Mayor, the incumbent Peter Röhlinger (FDP) wins against Albrecht Schröter (SPD).

July/August: As part of an initiative launched by Jenoptik AG, all Jena schools are equipped with computer technology and Internet connections over the summer vacation.

December: The State Vocational School for Health and Social Affairs in Jena moves into the first building of a new school campus in Neulobeda-Ost.

January: The topping-out ceremony for the two new floors of the restaurant on the Intershop Tower is celebrated.

The first plans for the redevelopment of Eichplatz are presented to the public.

March: Demolition of the brewery buildings of the Jena brewery, which went bankrupt in 1994, begins at Felsenkeller

June 26: The Jenoptik Group celebrates the tenth anniversary of its founding as a "model East German company" following its overall successful development. Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröderis the keynote speaker . The people of Jena are involved in the celebrations with a large public festival.

June 30: The public swimming pool is closed. The building temporarily serves as a replacement venue for the Jena Theaterhaus.

August: The 10th Kulturarena closes with a record 70,000 visitors.

September: Around 20,000 students study in Jena at the start of the semester, around 3,000 of them at the University of Applied Sciences.

The relocation of the Jenaplan School to the renovated Südschule on Tatzendpromenade, which is included in the list of Jena's cultural monuments, is largely completed.

December 7: The Schott Villa opens its doors to visitors as a museumfollowing its renovation on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Otto Schott's birth.

After years of population decline, Jena's population exceeds 100,000 (100,067) for the first time.

January 1: The euro is introduced as cash and replaces the D-Mark as a means of payment.

February 14: The Jena Prize for Civil Courage, founded in 2001, is awarded for the first time.

March: The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology moves into its new institute building on the Beutenberg campus.

March 2: The GalaxSea leisure pool in Winzerla is opened (foundation stone laid on May 5, 2000).

March 19: A new memorial stone for the victims of the 1945 bombing in Jena is dedicated in Rathausgasse. The stone was erected on the initiative of master stonemason Eckart Bock, who designed and sponsored it.

April 13: The "Jena Wood Market" takes place for the first time. The combination of demonstrations of traditional craftsmanship associated with wood and a market event develops into a tradition over the following years.

September 5: The Jena State Vocational School Center for Business & Administration, located in the "Paradiesschule", is named after the educator Karl Volkmar Stoy.

September 29: The first ecumenical city church day takes place in Jena.

November: A (modern) bronze sculpture of the city and church patron St. Michael is erected in the outer niche of St. Michael's tower. The late Romanesque wooden sculpture of St. Michael originally located here has been in the church interior since 2014 following the completion of renovation work.

December 19: The Jena Art Association celebrates its 100th anniversary. It has been using exhibition rooms in the Red Tower since September of that year.

January 1: The Eigenbetrieb Kommunale Immobilien Jena (KIJ) begins operations. As a company of the city, it is the owner and operator of undeveloped and developed municipal land, school and sports properties as well as cultural, social and administrative buildings in the city.

March: Unemployment reaches another high level of 14% - after a temporary improvement in the situation.

March/May: New institute buildings are completed and occupied on the Beutenberg campus (Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering; Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry).

June 11: Walter Scheler, one of the strike leaders in the popular uprising of June 17, 1953, sentenced to 25 years in prison and released after seven and a half years, is made an honorary citizen of the city of Jena.

June 17: In the emotionally charged "Johannsmeier debate" about the history of the GDR dictatorship, the foundation stone for a memorial to the victims of communism is laid behind the town hall. The memorial project, initiated and financedby former GDR prisoner Karl-Heinz Johannsmeier, is not realized after controversial debates on the culture of remembrance due to concerns about content, form and aesthetics.

July 9: The newly built employment office in Stadtrodaer Straße is opened.

October 15: The "Neue Mitte" shopping center opens in the newly built base of the JenTower in the city center.

February 23: The relocation of the Jena State Vocational School for Health and Social Affairs (successor to the FSU Medical College), which has been under municipal sponsorship since 1992, to the new school campus in Lobeda-Ost is completed.

March: The Palas building of Lobdeburg Castle, which essentially dates back to the second half of the 12th century, is secured with a steel corset.

June: The first complex of the newly built university hospital in Lobeda with seven clinics and several functional areas with a total of 1,200 employees is inaugurated.

The Thuringia State Prize for Monument Protection is awarded to the Laasan local association for the restoration of the parish hall, which dates back to the beginning of the 17th century.

June 3: The new justice center in Rathenaustraße on the former barracks site of the Soviet armed forces is opened.

June 27: The PDS wins the local elections with 24.2% of the vote, ahead of the CDU (22.9), SPD (19.0), Citizens for Jena (12.5), Greens (12.1) and FDP (9.1). Voter turnout has fallen further to 43.8%.

August 9: Around 800 people take part in the first "Monday" demonstration against the Hartz IV laws.

September 21: Political scientist Klaus Dicke is inaugurated as the newly elected Rector, a position he will hold until 2014.

October: The Jena Philharmonic Orchestra starts the concert season under its new chief conductor Nicholas Milton. Milton replacesAndrei Boreiko.

October 3: The old Saale Bridge in Burgau is reopened to bicycle and pedestrian traffic. The reconstruction of the bridge in its original form is due to the commitment of the "Association for the Rescue of the Old Saale Bridge Jena-Burgau", founded in 1992.

January 1: Following the city's decision in favor of the so-called option model, i.e. to implement the Hartz IV laws under its own responsibility, the "Jenarbeit" municipal enterprise commences operations.

The newly founded municipal enterprise JenaKultur unites all of the city's cultural institutions as well as tourism and city marketing under one roof.

March 20: The renovated animal fountain in the Oberaue, financed by donations, is inaugurated with a fountain festival. The fountain had been an original part of the Oberaue public park since 1957.

April 29: The extensive renovation of the Camsdorf Bridge is completed, enabling the double-track extension of the streetcar line to Wenigenjena.

May: Schott Jenaer Glas GmbH finally ceases production of household glass in Jena.

June 18: After two years of construction, the new ICE stop Jena-Paradies is put into operation with a stop of the ICE "Jena".

June 26: Roland Ducke, Jena soccer legend of the 1960s, passes away.

September 4: An exhibition of sculptures and drawings by Auguste Rodin opens in the municipal museums. It sets a new visitor record for the museum's exhibitions (55,000 visitors by the end of January 2006).

October: Over 20,000 students are counted at the Friedrich Schiller University at the start of the semester. Visitor numbers have been falling slightly since 2012. In the 2016/17 winter semester, 18,219 students were enrolled.

8 December: The Carl Zeiss housing cooperative presents the "Nordlichter" construction project. Following the demolition of the last two barracks on the former Soviet army site in Jena-Nord in 2006, 130 apartments of various types will be built by 2008. Construction continues in 2015 ("Nordlichter II") and 2018 ("Nordlichter III").

January: The Abbe Center is opened on the Beutenberg Science and Innovation Campus. As a central building, it houses the facilities shared by all institutions located on campus, such as the canteen, branch library of the Thuringian University and State Library and lecture hall.

March 18: A bronze cast of the sculpture Ergo Bibamus (Freimut Drewello, 1986) is installed on Johannisplatz after the original had to be removed from its old location on the Anatomy Tower in 2000 due to construction work. The initiative for the new installation comes from the Jena carnival club LNT e. V.

May: FC Carl Zeiss Jena is promoted to the second Bundesliga.

May 21: Albrecht Schröter (SPD) wins the run-off election against Christoph Schwind (CDU) and becomes the new Lord Mayor of Jena. Former mayor Peter Röhlinger , who did not stand for re-election, leaves office after 16 years.

July: Following the takeover of Jenapharm by Bayer AG, the company's own research activities at the Jena site are also discontinued. As a result, the company concentrates exclusively on the sale of hormone preparations for women.

July 14-16: Jena hosts the 10th Thuringia Day. The events under the motto "Rendezvous in Jena" attract around 300,000 visitors.

August: Following partial renovation of the school building, which was inaugurated in 1914, the "Adolf Reichwein School" reopens as a cooperative comprehensive school. At the start of 2018/19, the educational institution is once again run as a pure grammar school.

October 11: The city council decides to involve citizens more closely in the preparation of the budget. The "participatory budget" allows randomly selected citizens to have a say in the use of parts of the additional revenue in the following years.

October 14/15: The 200th anniversary of the Battle of Jena and Auerstedt is commemorated in Jena and the surrounding area. A highlight is the re-enactment of the battle by around 1,600 actors in front of around 32,000 visitors. The re-enactments, which have been held every five years since 1996, are organized by the "Jena 1806" working group.

November 6: The Angergymnasium school vacates its original building on the Anger and moves to the Ostschule in Wenigenjena. The original building is converted into an administrative building for the town from 2007.

December: Due to VEB Jenapharm's involvement in state doping in the GDR, its legal successor Jenapharm GmbH agrees to pay 1.9 million euros to the Association of Doping Victims.

December 31: The student unions Erfurt-Ilmenau and Jena-Weimar merge to form the "Studentenwerk Thüringen" (since 2006 "Studierendenwerk Thüringen").

January: As part of the large-scale nature conservation project "Orchid Region Jena - Shell limestone slopes in the Middle Saale Valley", the "Leutratal" nature reserve is extended and given the name "Leutratal and Cospoth" nature reserve.

February: A new building completes the development at the south-east corner of the market. The building occupies the site of the historic Kirsten House, which fell victim to the bombing of Jena in 1945. A plaque commemorates the fact that Goethe and Schiller's friendship beganhere in 1794.

March 21: Jena beats Potsdam in the competition for the "City of Science" prize awarded by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft. This gives the city the opportunity to present itself at relevant events over the course of a year in 2008.

May 23: In Jena, the first eight "Stolpersteine" are laid for victims of the Shoah. By 2015, 36 more Stumbling Stones will be laidas part of Gunter Demnig's art project.

July 7: The Berggesellschaft Forsthaus e. V. is founded to promote the "Jena Forest Landscape and Cultural Experience".

August 17: The redesign of the Wenigenjena bank of the Saale is essentially completed with the installation of two sculptures. The redesign of the Wenigenjena bank is the starting point for projects to develop the Saale and the banks of the Saale as an experience area in the following years ("City on the River").

Autumn: Following several demonstrations and events by the NPD and other right-wing extremist organizations, the "Action Network against Right-Wing Extremism" is formed as a loose association of democratically oriented forces.

September 15: The converted and extended former Gutenberg School in Jena-Nord is reopened as a Montessori school. The principles of Montessori education have been practiced in Jena since the early 1990s in a number of educational institutions.

November: The unemployment rate in Jena is below 10% for the first time since 1990. However, some of the newly created jobs are so-called mini-jobs created under the Hartz IV legislation.

A first production facility for solar modules from Schott Solar GmbH starts operations in Jena. The involvement in the photovoltaics division has to be discontinued as early as 2013.

November 16: The "Long Night of Science", which has been held in Jena since 2005, attracts over 10,000 visitors for the first time.

November 30: The Volksbad, which was closed in 2001, is reopened after renovation work and temporary interim use as a multifunctional event and conference venue.

February 2: The presentation of Jena as the "City of Science" 2008 begins with a major event "Jena shines". 300 events with half a million visitors follow throughout the year.

April 16: Following renewed controversial public debate in Jena, the city council decides against the design submittedby Karl-Heinz Johannsmeier for a memorial to the victims of communism. At the same time, a competition for the design of such a memorial is announced.

May: The women's soccer team Universitätssportverein Jena e. V. (FF USV Jena) is promoted to the Bundesliga (relegated in 2018). The team reaches the cup final in 2010. The roots of successful women's soccer in Jena lie in the early 1980s.

FC Carl Zeiss Jena is relegated to the 3rd division after two years in the 2nd Bundesliga.

May 23: The biogas plant on the grounds of the Jena-Zwätzen sewage treatment plant goes into operation.

September 25: Work on the Jagdberg tunnel begins with a ceremonial first blasting of the south tunnel.

September 30: The long-established Gustav Fischer publishing house finally ceases operations in Jena.

October 3: The "Stadtspeicher" (market square 16), the oldest parts of which date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, is opened following restoration work to preserve the historic building. The building houses the Jena Tourist Information Office and exhibition rooms (gallery) of the Jena Art Association. A hologram façade by Irish architect Ruairi O'Brien facesthe market side of the building.

February 16: The "Capitol" cinema, which opened in 1927, closes down. Attempts to continue operating the building as a cultural venue are unsuccessful. The listed building on Löbdergraben, designed by architects Schreiter & Schlag, is subsequently converted into residential and commercial premises.

February 22: The exhibition of French paintings "From Manet to Renoir" at the Stadtmuseum closes with another record attendance of 32,600 visitors.

May 5: The ground-breaking ceremony for the second construction phase of the University Hospital in Neulobeda is held.

June 7: The SPD wins the city council elections with 25.2 votes. It is followed by the Left Party (20.2), CDU (19.0), FDP (11.0), Citizens for Jena (10.2) and Greens (10.1). Voter turnout has risen significantly (54.3%) compared to 2004 (43.8%)

August 27: The breakthrough of the approximately 3 km long southern tube of the Jagdberg Tunnel is six months ahead of schedule.

September 11/12: The "City History Day" is held in Jena for the first time. The events, initially held annually and later every two years, serve to discuss important events in the city's history and anniversaries with a public interested in the city's history.

October 31: The Villa Rosenthal in Mälzerstraße is reopened as the city's cultural center after renovation. The recipients of the Clara and Eduard Rosenthal scholarships, which the city has since awarded to artists from the fields of visual arts, literature and urban writing, have the right to live in the villa.

November 7: An installation on Kirsten's house and brass plates on the pavement, which traceGoethe and Schiller' s joint path , commemorate the formation of the legendary friendship and working alliance.

November 16: The reopening of the monument to the special military unit of the Blinker in World War I, which has been restored after decades of decay, takes place on the Landgrave.

December 16: The last section of the Burgau-Bahnhof Göschwitz-Lobeda-West streetcar line is closed. This marks the provisional completion of streetcar construction in Jena from 1993.

January: The insolvency of the traditional football club Carl Zeiss is averted at the last minute. The city contributes to this by purchasing the pitch heating system and leasing it to the club.

March: Despite the crisis year 2009, the city budget shows a distributable surplus of nine million euros.

April 16: Construction work begins on the "Sonnenhof" in the center of Jena. The Berlin office of J. Mayer H. Architekten plans the construction of four buildings with office and residential units in a futuristic style.

June 17: A memorial "In memory of the politically persecuted in the Soviet occupation zone (SBZ) and in the GDR between 1945 and 1989" is inaugurated at the former site of the MfS district office on Anger. The monument, designedby Sibylle Mania, was the winner of a competition organized by the city and bears the dedication: "To all those whose human dignity was violated, to those persecuted who stood up for democracy and human rights against communist dictatorship. 1945-1989."

September 1: After years of vacancy, demolition work begins on the former Horten department store on Inselplatz. It is completed by the end of the year.

October: Renovation work on the former Jena glassworks landfill site on Schott-Platz comes to an end.

November 8: The new Jena bus station is officially inaugurated.

January: The planning documents for the redevelopment of Eichplatz are put on public display.

February: The station building in Göschwitz is sold to a private investor.

March: Jena-based Carl Zeiss Meditec AG wins the German Innovation Award in the medium-sized company category for the development of a breast cancer treatment device.

February 17: The city council passes a resolution to rename Petersenplatz to "Jenaplan". This brings the debate about the Nazi involvement of Jena educator Peter Petersen, which has been going on since summer 2009, to an end.

September: The newly built youth center "Hugo" (formerly "Winzerklub") reopens in the Winzerla development area right next to its old location. In the 1990s, the club had served as a meeting place for right-wing groups and cadres.

4 November: The murders by the right-wing terrorist organization "National Socialist Underground" become public; the three main perpetrators and several supporters are from Jena. After several years of investigations, the so-called NSU trial comes to an end in Munich in July 2018 with guilty verdicts against the defendants, but many questions surrounding the NSU complex remain unanswered. The JG-Stadtmitte in particular commemorates the victims with memorial events.

November 17: Lord Mayor Albrecht Schröter receives the "Prize for Civil Courage against Right-Wing Radicalism, Anti-Semitism and Racism" for his commitment, which has also been documented many times at Nazi marches in Jena.

2 December: A rock concert arranged at short notice - featuring Udo Lindenberg and Peter Maffey, among others - in the Oberaue is attended by around 50,000 people, setting an example against right-wing extremism and xenophobia.

January: Sparkasse Jena-Saale-Holzland benefits from the crisis affecting the major banks and reports 2011 as the best financial year in its history.

The Schott company announces its exit from the solar industry - despite previous substantial investments.

March: Real estate prices in Jena reach an all-time high. The city becomes one of the top ten cities in Germany in terms of property prices.

May 6: Incumbent Albrecht Schröter (SPD) wins the run-off election for the office of Lord Mayor against Dietmar Schuchardt (CDU).

May 8: Iranian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi receives the International Prize for Understanding and Human Rights from the Ulrich Zwiener Foundation and the University of Jena.

May 30: The new Lichtenhain Bridge in Oberaue is inaugurated.

September: The official unemployment rate reaches a new low of 6.6%.

November 9: The faithful reconstruction of the wooden bridge near Kunitz, which was destroyed in 1945, is completed by the Kunitz Bridge and Monument Association.

December 13: The city council approves the school network plan until 2015 and gives the green light for the construction of two new schools.

December 15: The Scala Tower Hotel on the 27th floor of the Jentower opens as the second highest hotel in Germany.

January: The former municipal abattoir in Jena, which has long been criticized for hygiene deficiencies and violations of animal welfare laws, has to file for insolvency and close for good on 1 August. The building is subsequently demolished.

January 23: The state integrative elementary school "An der Trießnitz" (Winzerla) is awarded the Jakob Muth Prize for the integration of disabled pupils.

Early June: Continuous rainfall causes flooding of the Saale floodplains. The Ernst Abbe Stadium is completely flooded. As a result, the floodlight masts have to be dismantled due to flood damage.

September 1: An exhibition on the visual art of Henry van de Velde (until November 24) once again proves to be a magnet for visitors to the City Museum.

November 14: The city council gives the green light for the construction of the "Friedensberg Terraces". Jenawohnen GmbH has ten apartment buildings with a total of 96 apartments built by 2016. The project remains controversial until the end, mainly due to the height of the buildings.

November 27: The building of the traditional restaurant "Zur Sonne" on the market square with the oldest parts dating back to the middle of the 13th century is reopened after being restored as a listed building (since 2007). The historic building is connected to the modern residential buildings of the "Sonnenhof" towards Löbdergraben. The housing cooperative 'Carl Zeiss' eG was responsible for the restoration and new construction.

November 29: A new school building is inaugurated on the Saale in Paradies. It houses the independent comprehensive school "Universaale" as well as some of the pupils from the elementary school "Steinmaleins" (Lobeda-Altstadt). The schools, which operate according to inclusive principles, are run by QuerWege e. V.

9 December: The "Schiller-Passage", a shopping center in Löbstedter Straße that opened in December 1994, closes for good. Only the parking garage of the building, which has been vacant since then, is still usable.

January 5: The "Sparkassen-Arena" in Burgau is opened. The multi-purpose hall with 3,000 seats hosts the basketball team Science City Jena (Basketball Bundesliga since 2016/17), as well as concerts, stand-up comedy shows, congresses, trade fairs and celebrations.

February 19: The oil painting of Clara Rosenthalby Raffael Schuster-Woldan, long thought to be missing, is found in Paderborn and returns to the Rosenthal Villa in Jena.

March: A concept developed since 1993 for the development of Eichplatz - the renaming of Platz der Kosmonauten had taken place on April 1, 1991 - is rejected by a majority in a public consultation and subsequently withdrawn. The city council resolution "Sale of land with obligation to build on Eichplatz", which had already been passed, was subsequently revoked. The sale of Eichplatz and the development plans had previously been the subject of lively critical debate and fierce opposition from the local community. The citizens' initiative "Mein Eichplatz" was founded back in 2010, and in 2013 the initiative "Moratorium Eichplatz" called for a pause and reconsideration of the planned development with a signature campaign.

May 12: The Förderverein Johannisfriedhof Jena e. V. is founded. The purpose of the association is the preservation, maintenance and appropriate use of the Johannisfriedhof cemetery, the promotion of monument protection and preservation as well as scientific research.

May 25: The Left Party wins the city council elections with 24.0% of the vote. It is followed by the CDU (22.2), SPD (20.8), Greens (11.4) and Citizens for Jena (10.4).

September 12: The almost 20-year renovation of Jena's St. Michael's Church is completed with the opening of the newly designed arched area above the bridal portal.

October 2: A memorial and information stele is dedicated in Löbstedter Straße in memory of the Buchenwald subcamp of the Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk Jena and the wagon camp used to forcibly house Jewish citizens during the Nazi era.

October 30/November 18: After three months of trial operation, the Jagdberg Tunnel is opened to traffic, initially for the westbound tunnel (to Frankfurt/Main) and later for the eastbound tunnel (to Dresden). The immediate dismantling and renaturation of the freeway sections that are no longer required primarily benefits the Leutratal and Cospoth nature reserve.

As part of the "International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies" proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, Jena is celebrating 2015 as the "Year of Light". Universities, scientific institutes and companies in particular are involved.

January 23: An Abbe statue is unveiled as a monument in front of the Zeiss Planetarium to mark the 175th birthday of Ernst Abbe.

March 2: The topping-out ceremony for a new crematorium at the North Cemetery is celebrated (inaugurated in February 2016).

May: The first charging station for electric cars is put into operation in the industrial estate on the A4.

June: In Winzerla (Rudolstädter Straße/Damaschkeweg), work begins on the construction of a pedestrian traffic light in the area of the Jena public transport stops opposite. This was preceded by weeks of heated public debate.

September 23: After a discussion process lasting several years, the city council decides to convert the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld into a soccer-only arena. The question of a competition venue for athletics in keeping with Jena's tradition remains unanswered.

November 18: The city council deals with the problem of rising refugee numbers. The number of asylum seekers in Jena has risen from around 500 to over 1,500 since the beginning of the year. At present, a third of the refugees are living in apartments, a third in shared accommodation, including in newly built container villages, and a third in emergency accommodation, primarily sports halls. The situation worsens over the turn of the year, but eases as the number of refugees decreases over the course of 2016. Container accommodation is built on the Gries, in Lobeda-Ost (Carolinenstraße) and Am Stadion, among others.

11 December: The Am Anger 28 emergency response center is inaugurated. In addition to fire departments, rescue and emergency services, the finance department uses the new building.

15 January: The Lord Mayor of the city and the Department of Family, Education and Social Affairs host a municipal refugee summit to discuss further tasks in the accommodation, care and integration of asylum seekers.

January 20: The right-wing conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) holds its first rally in Jena with around 600 supporters.

April 17: A cross stone commemorating the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire is unveiled at the Camsdorf Bridge.

April 20: A torchlight procession of around 200 supporters of the far-right Thügida movement is opposed by around 4,000 counter-demonstrators.

May 19: The city council approves the establishment of the German Optical Museum in Jena.

September 11: More than 50,000 visitors come to the city center for Carl Zeiss Day. Zeiss celebrates its 200th birthday this year.

October 4: The Ernst-Abbe-Gymnasium in Winzerla, which has been completely renovated and extended at a cost of around ten million euros, celebrates its reopening.

10 November: Jena is awarded the honorary title of "European City of the Reformation" by the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe.

April 17: Following restoration work to preserve the existing structure, the existing structural fragments of the Carmelite monastery from the 15th/16th century are opened to the public.

May: With the relocation of the Ear, Nose and Throat, Urology, Ophthalmology and Women's Clinic to Lobeda, the relocation of the University Hospital to the new site in Neulobeda East is complete. Only the Clinics for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy remain in the inner-city area.

July 4: The University Senate rejects the re-erection of the Marx bust. The monument, which was removed from its location on Fürstengraben in 1992, remains in storage.

September 16: A monument to Carl Zeiss, designed by Klaus-Dieter Locke and financed by donations, is unveiledon Johannisplatz .

October 13: The Zeiss Group announces an investment program of 300 million euros for the traditional Jena site. The aim is to construct an "integrated high-tech complex with radiance for the entire region" on the partially undeveloped areas of the Schott factory.

November 22: The winner of the architectural competition for the new Ernst Abbe Library is chosen. By 2023, a new library building is to be built in the Engelplatz area, which will also house the Jena Citizens' Service.

December 10: With the timetable change at Deutsche Bahn, Jena's hourly IC and ICE connections to Berlin and Munich are discontinued.

End of the year: Due to the drop in the number of arriving refugees, their accommodation in containers can be discontinued. The corresponding facilities are closed.

January 9: The Beate-Uhse store in Saalstraße closes after 27 years of business in Jena. The erotic retailer was one of the first former West German companies to open a branch in the city after reunification.

February: Jenawohnen GmbH and the architects Junk & Reich are awarded the German Builder-Owner Prize for the new building project "Friedensberg-Terrassen".

April 18: The city council votes for the construction of a new indoor swimming pool.

May 1: Due to a summer with record temperatures, the outdoor pool season, which opens on this day, ends with record attendance (163,000 visitors in total).

May 29: Thomas Nitzsche (FDP) wins the mayoral run-off election against the incumbent Albrecht Schröter (SPD).

May 7: The GoetheGalerie shows the best press photos of the year for the twentieth time in a row in the annual world press photo exhibition.

June 27: The Jena Dictionary of City History, a standard work by 260 historians, scientists from related disciplines and lay researchers, is presented to the public.

July 1: The sponsorship of the Jena Optical Museum is transferred from the Ernst Abbe Foundation to the German Optical Museum Foundation (D.O.M.).

July 5: The Kulturarena opens with the summer theater "Titanic" and closes with around 70,000 visitors.

August 31: The newly elected department heads take their oath of office: Christian Gerlitz (Urban Development and Environment), Eberhard Hertzsch (Family, Education and Social Affairs) and Benjamin Koppe (Finance, Security and Citizen Services).

October 18: The new season of the Jena Philharmonic opens under the new chief conductor Simon Gaudenz. Gaudenz takes over fromMarc Tardue, who had led the orchestra since 2012.

October 26: On the way to the Jenzig summit, a child-friendly educational trail about dinosaurs that once lived here is inaugurated.

October 28: A memorial plaque is unveiled on the HypoVereinsbank building in Schillerstraße for 16 Jena victims of the so-called Polenaktion - the forced deportation of Jews of Polish nationality to Poland. The initiator is the Jena Working Group on Judaism.

December 18: The culture committee decides by a majority to add an inscription ("1914 to the fallen 1918"), an attachment based on the historical flashing device and a new information plaque to the flashing memorial, which was renovated in 2009. The memorial to the fallen of the special unit of the Blinkers, which was trained in Jena, is thus to be re-marked in its "integrity and historicity".

15 January: The Gera Administrative Court confirms the city council's approach to the "Auf Achse" association, which is forced to vacate its stand in Wenigenjena despite a city council decision to the contrary.

January 17: The first student strike takes place as part of "FridaysForFuture". Over the following weeks, the movement gains momentum in Jena.

March 28: The Urban Development Committee discusses plans for the purchase of new streetcars and the further expansion of the streetcar infrastructure with an investment sum of €153 million.

April 4: The redesigned city website goes live. The reactions of the citizens are divided.

April 15: The first demolition work on the Schott site marks the start of construction of the new Zeiss Campus.

May 12: A "Climate Pavilion" of the Thuringian Ministry of the Environment opens on Rasenmühleninsel as a place for information and discussion, which is visited by over 12,000 interested people by the end of July.

26 May: The super election Sunday in Jena is characterized by long queues in front of polling stations and annoyance due to the closure of polling stations despite the large number of people still waiting. The results of the European elections for Jena City: Greens=20.9%; CDU=15.8%; Die Linke=15.4%; AfD=12.4%; SPD=12.0%; FDP=6.5%; Die Partei=5.4%.

Results of the city council elections: Die Linke=20.4% (9 seats); Grüne=19.4% (9); FDP=12.8% (6); CDU=12.6% (6); SPD=12.6% (6); AfD=10.0% (5); Bürger für Jena=7.5% (3); Freie Wähler Jena=3.4% (1); Die Guten=1.3% (1).

June 6: Around 100 cyclists demonstrate in the city center for a more bicycle-friendly city.

June 19: The constituent meeting of the new city council re-elects Jens Thomas (Die Linke) as city council chairman (deputy: Margret Franz - Greens).

July 8: The annual Kulturarena opens with a theatrical spectacle "Hätte hätte hätte Fahrradkette". Due to construction work on the theater forecourt, the arena is to be held in Paradies in the following years.

July 19: The Ernst Abbe Library opens for the last time at its traditional location in the Volkshaus. Until the new library building is completed, it is housed in the converted former eye clinic.

July 26: At 37.7 degrees C, Jena reports the current heat record for Thuringia. Persistent drought and heat in the following weeks require irrigation of the trees.

August 25: Lothar König , the long-serving city youth pastor who is retiring , gives his farewell sermon in the city church.

September 1: On the initiative of the "Speaking Past" working group, a memorial plaque is unveiled in the town hall arcades with the names of 60 known citizens of Jena who fell victim to the Nazi euthanasia program.

September 6: The city council adopts a package of climate protection measures. Among other things, a "climate check" is planned for all city council resolutions.

September 21: Around 3,500 citizens take part in a demonstration for more and better climate protection.

October 14: Construction of the new library and citizen service building begins on Engelplatz.

October 27: The state parliament elections produce the following results for Jena: Jena I - Die Linke = 37.8%; Greens = 16.3%; CDU = 13.0%; AfD = 11.2%; SPD = 9.1%; FDP = 7.5% ( direct mandate: Torsten Wolf - Die Linke); Jena II - Die Linke = 37.6%; AfD = 14.6%; CDU = 14.2%; Greens = 11.7%; SPD = 9.0%; FDP = 7.9% (direct mandate: Gudrun Lukin - Die Linke).

December 7: The "sociocultural center" Inselplatz moves into a new domicile in the "Carl August" in Mühltal. A lengthy legal dispute is thus averted and construction of the new university campus can begin.

January: The plan for a new residential area in the north of Jena near Zwätzen ("Am Oelste") with around 500 apartments is presented.

February 5: Following the election of FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich as Thuringian Minister President with the votes of the AfD, the first spontaneous demonstration takes place. In the following days, further demonstrations take place demanding his resignation and new elections.

February 18: Three electric buses are used in Jena's public transport system for the first time.

February 29: After the first coronavirus cases in the city and at the university, the city forms a crisis team. Capacity is created at the university hospital to accommodate coronavirus patients.

March 5: The city of launches a coronavirus information hotline.

March 11: Events with more than 500 participants are banned. People returning from regions classified as "risk areas" are asked to go into domestic quarantine for 14 days.

12 March: The Ernst Abbe Library closes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Events - including FC Carl Zeiss Jena matches - are canceled.

March 17: Due to the spread of the coronavirus, public and private life in the city is significantly reduced ("lockdown"). Schools and daycare centers are closed, emergency care is provided for a small number of children in daycare centers and after-school care centers. Restaurants and all cultural and leisure facilities are subject to closure. The university stops face-to-face teaching and closes the university library. The University Hospital prepares for increasing numbers of coronavirus patients and therefore reduces the number of planned operations. Visits to the hospital are banned.

March 19: The measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic are again drastically tightened: all stores that do not serve general supplies (grocery stores, pharmacies, drugstores, banks and savings banks) must close (with the exception of DIY stores and garden centers). Hairdressers and stores offering "body-related services" as well as hotels and guesthouses will cease trading. Meetings in public and private areas are limited to a small number of people. Public playgrounds are no longer accessible.

20/21 March: The number of active coronavirus cases in Jena rises to 45. The first death is reported in connection with the virus.

March 24: The start of construction for the new university campus on Inselplatz takes place without the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony.

28 March: The city publishes a "general decree" summarizing all the measures adopted so far to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

6 April: Jena is the first municipality in Germany to make masks compulsory in stores that are still open and on public transport. As there are not enough masks available, citizens are asked to make their own makeshift face masks.

8 April: Employees of the University Hospital complain in an open letter about the lack of protective clothing and disinfectants.

April 10/12: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there are no services with visitors in churches on Good Friday and at Easter. These are broadcast from the city church by Jena TV and Radio OKJ on the Internet.

April 24: Most stores can reopen under strict hygiene conditions.

April 25: The city makes it compulsory for pupils to wear masks during the resumption of face-to-face lessons at schools, amid protests from parents.

4 May: hairdressing salons can resume operations if strict hygiene rules are observed.

5 May: The Gera Administrative Court upholds a complaint by the Waldorf School in Jena against the mask requirement and classifies the Jena ordinance as disproportionate.

May 15: Restaurants can reopen under strict conditions and with the recording of guest data.

May 30: The city council committee for urban development awards a planning contract for the so-called Osttangente (four-lane expansion of the road between the Anger junction and the Fischergasse intersection), the most expensive traffic project in Jena for years with a planned € 21 million.

June 1/15: Südbad (Schleichersee) and Ostbad open with an online booking system.

June 5: 40 SMEs from the catering, leisure and tourism sectors found the "Stimme für Jena" association.

June 15: FC Carl Zeiss Jena is relegated from the 3rd Bundesliga ahead of schedule.

25 June: 400 to 600 participants take part in a demonstration against racism following the murder of a man of color by a police officer in the USA.

July: The employment agency in Jena reports positive effects of the short-time working ordered in many areas to combat the coronavirus. This has prevented an explosive rise in unemployment figures.

18 July: The city council adopts the "Mission Statement for Energy and Climate Protection in the City of Jena" for the period 2021 to 2030 with ambitious targets in the areas of electricity, heating, transport and renewable energies.

August: There are no more active coronavirus cases in the city and district of Saale-Holzland. In most companies, the prescribed short-time work is ended.

August 8: Jena sets a heat record for Thuringia with 36.2 degrees Celsius.

25 August: The artist team Horst Hoheisel and Andreas Knitz carry out an "exploratory drilling" at the Rosenthal Villa as part of the art project "A decentralized memorial for Eduard Rosenthal".

August 29: The new school year starts with 1,029 new pupils. The planned obligation to wear masks in class was overturned by court order.

September 11 - 20: The traditional Jena Old Town Festival takes place in a reduced form and is essentially limited to cultural events.

September 17: The mayor orders the closure of the Grete Unrein School due to five cases of coronavirus among pupils. This is the first major coronavirus case after the first wave has subsided.

September 19: A square is dedicatedin Winzerla in memory of Enver Şimşek, the first murder victim of the NSU, and all other victims of the series of murders. In December, the adjacent bus and streetcar stop is also renamed"Enver-Şimşek-Platz".

24 September: Jena honors the achievements of the lawyer Eduard Rosenthal for the state of Thuringia ("father" of the state constitution that came into force in 1920) and for the city of Jena with a memorial event. The three locations of the decentralized Rosenthal memorial in Jena (Volkshaus, main university building, Villa Rosenthal) are inaugurated with a performative theatrical search for traces.

Early October: A local group of the "Seebrücke" movement is founded in Jena. It calls for the city to take in refugees, especially from refugee camps in Greece.

October 9: The symbolic ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of a new indoor swimming pool takes place in Lobeda-West.

October 13: The city council anticipates a budget emergency due to expected corona-related tax losses of €30 million per year. The city council is faced with the task of developing a savings concept.

October 15: The majority of the City Council approves a development concept for Eichplatz, which includes the sale of construction site A to the investor Strabag Real Estate.

26 October: In view of the renewed increase in coronavirus infections (rapid rise in the so-called seven-day incidence), the city tightens measures to protect against infection. Private contacts and the number of people at public events are restricted. Further restrictions in restaurants and at cultural, sports and leisure facilities come into force in the following days.

November 6: Jena author and literary critic Günter Gerstmann dies at the age of 87.

November 11/12: Night-time riots cause serious damage to stores and buildings in the city center. The perpetrators are suspected to be from the radical left and alternative scene.

November 14: Schools and daycare centers are closed again due to rapidly rising infection rates.

November 18: The seven-day incidence exceeds 100 for the first time.

21 November: Jena makes masks compulsory outdoors in the city center.

December 7: The Cologne Institute for Economic Research confirms Jena's good location qualities in various areas (top position in the East alongside Potsdam and Dresden).

December 14: Face-to-face teaching in Jena schools is suspended.

December 15: The seven-day incidence reaches 220.4.

December 17: The association for "History of Technology in Jena" has 17 memorial plaques for outstanding Zeissians installed on the old Zeiss high-rise building.

January: The trend of falling population figures in Jena continues: The same has fallen by 587 to 108,353 within a year.

11/12 January: The first vaccination center against the coronavirus opens in Lobeda-Ost. On February 3, a second vaccination center opens in the Volksbad.

19 January: The federal and state governments pledge € 8.9 million for the modernization of the Optical Museum. The plan is to create an interactive world of experience by 2024.

February 8: Heavy snowfall at night causes chaos, especially in the transport sector. Local public transport and regional rail services are largely paralyzed. Snow clearance takes the following days.

February 11: An accident at the Winzerla power plant leads to a loss of district heating and hot water supply for around 6,500 households in Jena-Nord. Emergency accommodation - including hotels - is provided. The fault can be rectified the following day. On February 16, bus and streetcar services are fully operational again.

March 14: Shop windows are smashed and building facades are graffitied during night-time riots in the inner-city shopping areas. The police form a special task force. The city offers a reward of €10,000 "for relevant information".

March 22: The Jena Saalelandschaft (Landfeste) presents itself as an outdoor location for the Federal Garden Show in Erfurt.

March 25: Rapid coronavirus tests are carried out at Jena schools for the first time.

14 April: University Hospital is at its limit due to the intensive care unit being overloaded with Covid-19 patients. Additional nursing staff from the ranks of the German Armed Forces are deployed.

April 17: An unannounced demonstration by opponents of the coronavirus measures ("Querdenker") is broken up by the police.

April 24: Stricter federal measures to combat coronavirus (school closures; night-time curfews) come into force ("federal emergency brake").

April 27: The wearing of FFP2 or medical masks becomes mandatory in public areas. Self-made temporary masks used up to now are no longer permitted.

1/2 May: During the night, there is again rioting with serious damage to property in the city center, presumably with a radical left-wing background.

May 10: Around 100 participants commemorate the end of the Second World War at an event in front of the town church.

May 14: Rental e-scooters are offered in the city for the first time. The city council limits the total number to 400.

May 21: Due to falling corona numbers (in Jena, seven-day incidence consistently below 100 again), the "federal emergency brake" is suspended. The first easing steps are taken in the retail and restaurant sectors.

4 June: The obligation to wear masks (outdoors) that has been in place in the city center since April is lifted.

June 5: Most cultural institutions resume their activities after the forced Corona break.

June 10: The FC Carl Zeiss women's team is promoted to the 1st Bundesliga.

June 17: The Jakob-Michael-Reinhold-Lenz Prize for Drama of the City of Jena is awarded to director Antje Schupp, marking the start of the event series "Kein Schlussstrich", with which Jena's city society faces up to its responsibility for coming to terms with the NSU complex.

June 25: The Kulturarena 2021 opens with an "Arena Overture" performed by the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra in front of 650 visitors.

July 2: Ralf Kleist, a popular Green Party councillor who was highly regarded for his social commitment, dies at the age of 55.

July 6: 400 participants demonstrate with a bicycle parade for a closed cycle network in Jena.

July 29: A benefit concert by the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra raises €20,500 for flood victims in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.

August 7: The development work for the new residential area "Am Oelste" in Zwätzen is completed.

August 23: Five stumbling blocks are laid for victims of National Socialist "euthanasia".

September 4: 1,033 first-graders start school under coronavirus conditions (compulsory testing for pupils and teachers).

September 5: A memorial stele is dedicated at the Camsdorf Bridge on the initiative of the "Speaking Past" working group, commemorating the death march of Buchenwald concentration camp inmates through Jena on April 11, 1945.

September 27: The election to the Bundestag results in the following second votes for Jena: SPD = 23.4%; Greens = 19.2%; Left = 15.6%; CDU = 11.9%; AfD = 11.7%; FDP = 9.4%. For the Jena-Sömmerda-Weimar Land I constituency, Jena local politician Holger Becker (SPD) enters the Bundestag with 20.1% of the first votes.

September 30: Jena records the second-highest property prices in the new federal states after Potsdam.

8 October: Corona warning level 1 applies to Jena and the 3-G rule comes into force for many areas (access only for those who have been vaccinated, recovered or (currently) tested).

10 October: As part of the campaign for a pedestrian and cyclist-friendly city, a "car-free Sunday" is initiated for parts of the city center.

October 19: The new academic year begins at Friedrich Schiller University for around 17,700 enrolled students (including 3,900 first-year students).

22 October: After another increase in the seven-day incidence to a value of over 100, corona warning level 2 applies for Jena. The number of corona infections rises rapidly in the following days.

November 9: The events commemorating the November pogrom of 1938 - "Sound of the Stumbling Stones"; central event at the Westbahnhof - take place on a reduced scale due to corona.

November 11/13: The seven-day incidence rises to well over 300 (to over 500 by the end of the month). The Christmas market is canceled again - after 2020.

22 November: The party "Die Basis" organizes a demonstration against the corona measures with around 300 participants.

24 November: The coronavirus measures are tightened further across Thuringia. Bars, clubs and discos have to close, larger events are canceled. Despite massive protests from store owners, the 2G rule (access only for vaccinated and recovered people) applies in the retail sector and the 3G rule in local transport.

November 25: The former Schiller Passage is reopened as the "Wiesencenter" with six stores for the time being.

The Protestant elementary school in Jena adopts the name of the Jena theologian and pastor Klaus-Peter Hertzsch, who died in 2015 .

3 December: Jena records its 100th death in connection with the coronavirus.

10 December: A parents' home financed by the McDonald's Children's Aid Foundation for children receiving inpatient treatment at the University Hospital is opened.

December 11: All municipal cultural institutions such as the philharmonic orchestra, museums, adult education center and library close.

December 20: Around 500 participants demonstrate against the planned mandatory vaccination against the coronavirus.

December 23: The first suspected cases of the highly contagious latest mutation of the coronavirus ("Omikron") are recorded.

The Jena Community Foundation writes an open letter against the increasing radicalization of the disputes surrounding the corona measures. It pleads for mutual respect and common sense in the coronavirus crisis.

December 24: A Christmas Vespers service is held on the market square with around 500 visitors.

Jan-March: The coronavirus mutation Omikron, which is increasingly dominating coronavirus diseases, proves to be extremely contagious. As a result, the seven-day incidence in the first quarter of 2022 reaches unprecedented levels. However, the course of the disease is mostly mild, so that hospitals, especially intensive care units, are not overloaded.

3 January: The demonstrations against the coronavirus measures continue. They take place every Monday from January to March, usually with several hundred participants. They protest against a nationwide general vaccination obligation, against the existing vaccination obligation in hospitals and care facilities, but also question the measures against the pandemic in general. Police operations against these - in some cases unannounced - so-called corona walks due to violations of the right of assembly or corona requirements as well as counter-demonstrations lead to an escalation of the situation in the following period. On January 26, the city council adopts a "Declaration on compliance with laws and rules and for respectful interaction with each other in connection with pandemic management" to de-escalate the situation.

February: After the "Ein Kunsthaus für Jena" association was unable to push through its proposal to build an art museum to showcase Jena's art collections, alternatives are discussed (old Dornburger Straße streetcar depot; location of Imaginata).

The Jena digital agency dotSource presents plans for the development of the Alte Feuerwache site, which are approved by the city council.

February 17: The seven-day incidence exceeds 1,000 for the first time, but the measures to combat the pandemic can still be relaxed due to the mostly mild course of the disease.

February 20: The physicist Ernst Schmutzer, the first freely elected rector of Jena University after the peaceful revolution (1990-1993), dies shortly before reaching the age of 92.

February 24/25: The first peace demonstrations take place following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops. Representatives of almost all parties and political organizations call for an end to the aggression ("Jena and Erlangen Peace Appeal").

March 1: A "Ukraine War Task Force" is set up at the city administration to coordinate the tasks involved in taking in refugees from Ukraine. The first war refugees arrive, most of whom find private accommodation. The number rises to around 500 by the middle of the month and to 800 by the end of the month.

March 9: Work begins on the Eichplatz development in the city center with the laying of new underground cables.

10 March: The city plans to demolish over 200 garages, particularly on the outskirts of Neu-Lobeda and Winzerla, and subsequently denaturalize the areas. The garage owners and tenants are forming resistance against this.

March 19: The city council invites citizens to submit proposals for the climate neutrality action plan to be drawn up.

March 24: The seven-day incidence exceeds the 3,000 mark for the first time.

2 April: The new semester at Jena's universities begins with face-to-face teaching again after the coronavirus restrictions are lifted.

The Romantikerhaus Literature Museum reopensunder its new director Max Pommer.

7 April: Jena applies as a location for the "Future Center for European Transformation and German Unity" advertised by the German government.

April 12: The seven-day incidence is below 1,000 for the first time in a long time.

April 16: The Easter march in Jena takes place with around 300 to 400 participants. They are united in their condemnation of the Russian war of aggression and in their solidarity with the refugees. The discussion about German arms deliveries is controversial.

April 23: JENARENA GmbH & Co. KG, Jena, joins FC Carl Zeiss as a shareholder.

April 25: The topping-out ceremony is celebrated on the new university campus on Inselplatz.

April 28: The foundation stone is laid for the new "Erlenhöfe" residential complex in Jena East. Among other things, 128 social housing units are to be built.

May 5: The "Westside" youth center is reopened in Neulobeda.

20 May: The "Long Night of Museums", which is held again after the coronavirus restrictions, attracts a record number of visitors.

28 May: The converted former women's clinic in Bachstrasse is ready to be used as a hostel for refugees from Ukraine.

June 1: The 9-euro ticket is introduced on local public transport and local rail services. This leads to overcrowded trains, particularly on the Whitsun weekend, especially on the Franconia-Thuringia Express and on the "Wine Mile" in the Saale-Unstrut region. The railroad later deploys relief trains with older wagon models.

June 15: The city council meets again in the town hall after the coronavirus pandemic. The meeting is accompanied by fierce public protests against the planned demolition of garages.

June 18/19: The weekend sees record temperatures. Temperatures throughout June are well above average, accompanied by extreme drought.

July: Due to the expected absence of Russian gas supplies, the municipal utilities announce a massive increase in the price of gas at the turn of the year 2022/23. The company focuses its activities on securing a stable gas supply during the winter months.

8 July: The 30th Kulturarena in Jena opens with the traditional theater spectacle (the opening of the concert season follows on 14 July).

July 20: Jena sets the heat record for Thuringia at 39.1 degrees Celsius.

August: In the Botanical Garden, damage is recorded, particularly to large old trees, due to persistent drought.

The city is looking for ways to save energy due to predicted energy shortages. The Galaxsea leisure pool lowers the water temperature by two degrees.

3 August: The conversion of the Volkshaus into a congress center, which began in 2017, is completed.

August 27: A new record is reached with around 1,100 school enrolments. However, forecasts predict that this figure will fall below 1,000 in the coming years.

September 4: The 20th wheat beer fountain festival and the closure of the local wheat beer brewery marks the end of traditional wheat beer brewing in Wöllnitz.

September 7: Demolition work on the apartment blocks built in the 1980s at Saaltor has begun and should be completed by mid-November.

September 16: The Jena Old Town Festival can be held again following the coronavirus restrictions.

September 19: The track construction work required for the new streetcars means that streetcar services to Lobeda-Ost are suspended and replaced by buses. The work is scheduled to take six weeks.

September 21: Stumbling stones are laidfor five victims of the T4 euthanasia campaign and for the resistance fighter Magnus Poser.

22 September: At the Leipzig Film Art Fair, Kino am Markt is named the best cinema in Thuringia and Kino im Schillerhof is honored for its programming.

October 3: The 35th anniversary of the Jena-Erlangen town twinning is the focus of the celebrations on German Unity Day.

October 15: The Jena Prize for Civil Courage Award goes to the head of the fan project at FC Carl Zeiss, Matthias Stein.

Mid-month: With temperatures of up to 26 degrees Celsius, record values are reached for the month.

27 October: The Jena tradesmen's association organizes a car parade through the city to protest against rising energy prices that threaten its existence. Demands are also made for efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict.

October 28: The matriculation ceremony for 3,600 first-year students in Jena takes place in the Volkshaus.

9 November: The city commemorates the victims of National Socialism with the decentralized event series "Sound of the Stumbling Stones". The concluding central event at Westbahnhof attracts around 1,000 participants.

November 25: The Christmas market reopens after a two-year interruption due to the coronavirus pandemic.

December 1: Around 100 students from Friedrich Schiller University demonstrate against the planned closure of the Chair of Gender History. This is followed by further protests, including a two-week occupation of the largest lecture hall in the main university building.

4 December: After a two-year break due to coronavirus, the brass band "Blechklang" of the "Carl Zeiss" brass band association performs again for the first time.

15 December: The majority of the city council approves the double budget for 2023/24. Despite high planning risks due to the unpredictable overall economic situation, the budget with a record sum of € 400 million does not provide for any cutbacks in investments. It assumes - bypassing the existing ban on new borrowing - that it will be necessary to take out new loans.

January: The city's double budget for 2023/24, adopted in December 2022, includes the renovation of the Neulobeda-Ost school site (Kulturanum) as one of the largest and most important investments with a total sum of € 41 million.

January 19: Pupils from the Christliches Gymnasium plant around 300 trees in the Wölmisse forest district.

February 4: Jenaer Stadtwerke announces that it will significantly reduce the discounts for electricity, gas and heat from March due to the nationwide price brakes.

March 7: The Jena statistics report records an extremely low number of house completions. The municipal building area "Am Oelste" has been lying fallow for years.

March 11: Jena currently has an overcapacity of around 600 daycare places. Closures of facilities are considered unavoidable as birth rates continue to fall.

Around 1,800 adults are currently being treated at the University Hospital for the long-term consequences of coronavirus.

March 30: 90 percent of foreign students rate Jena's higher education institutions as "satisfied" or "very satisfied".

March 31: Following an amendment to the relevant state law, the Left and Green parties apply for city council committee meetings to be held in public.

April 1: Around 300 people take part in "Saale-Putz 2023".

April 11: A memorial stele commemorating the death march of concentration camp prisoners from Buchenwald through Jena is unveiled at Angergymnasium. It commemorates, among others, the then 16-year-old prisoner Robert Büchler, who survived.

April 19: The city council approves the climate action plan by a large majority, which aims to ensure climate neutrality by 2035.

April 22: The 20th Thuringian Wood Market attracts around 60,000 visitors.

May 15-17: FC Carl Zeiss celebrates its 120th anniversary. Coaching legend Hans Meyer is made an honorary member.

June 20: At 37.1 degrees Celsius, it is the hottest day of the year so far. The city plans to draw up a heat action plan for the summer.

August: The situation regarding the accommodation of refugees, particularly from Ukraine, remains tense. Many refugees are still living in shared accommodation.

August 25: The newly built indoor swimming pool in Neulobeda is officially opened to visitors.

September 1: The gymnasium at the state vocational school center in Göschwitz can be used for sports lessons again after the relocation of the Ukrainian refugees has become possible.

September 27: The city council decides to reduce 500 daycare places by 2027 due to overcapacity.

October 7: The city no longer sees itself in a position to take in any more refugees due to exhausted capacities. It categorically rejects further accommodation in gymnasiums.

October 16: Around 300 people in need are fed at the traditional St. Martin's feast in the town church.

November 22: The city council votes against the left-wing faction for the development of Eichplatz with high-rise buildings. The CDU city council faction campaigns for the construction of the controversial eastern bypass to relieve traffic in the city center. The majority of the city parliament opposes the construction of a residential area on the Jägerberg, but favors a solar park at this location.

December 1: There is a slight increase in the number of unemployed to just over 3,000.

December: With an annual average temperature of 11.8 degrees Celsius, 2023 was the warmest year in Jena since weather records began.