Jena, 06.03.2026 – On Saturday, March 14, the 14th City History Day invites visitors to rediscover Jena’s vanished buildings. The focus is on historical buildings that have been erased from today’s cityscape over the centuries.
- Event: 14th City History Day („Spaces of Remembrance: Jena’s Vanished Buildings“)
- Date: Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 10:30 a.m.
- Central Location: Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek (ThULB) and other locations in the city area
- Admission: Free of charge (no registration required, but limited number of participants for tours and guided walks)
- Info & Program: www.jenakultur.de/tag-der-stadtgeschichte
In the Footsteps of Old Jena
Under the title “Spaces of Remembrance: Jena’s Vanished Buildings,” this year’s event is dedicated to the architectural past of the city on the Saale. Starting at 10:30 a.m., visitors can expect a diverse program spanning several locations across the city. The offerings range from specialist lectures and discussion rounds to interactive workshops.
The guided city tours in particular offer the opportunity to reinterpret the city’s empty spaces and built-over areas. This is not just about the pure documentation of demolished or destroyed houses, but also about the social and historical backgrounds: Why did certain buildings have to make way? What urban planning visions were behind them, and how is this architectural gap handled today in the collective memory of the city’s society?
Background: Why Jena Lost So Many Historical Buildings
Today’s cityscape of Jena is strongly shaped by two decisive historical phases that led to the massive loss of historical building fabric. Firstly, Allied bombing raids in February and March 1945 destroyed large parts of the medieval and early modern city center, leaving deep wounds in the architecture.
Secondly, the socialist urban planning of the 1960s fundamentally changed the face of Jena. To make room for the former research center of VEB Carl Zeiss and the prominent Uniturm (now Jentower), the historical Eichplatz-Viertel was rigorously demolished. Numerous traditional alleys, townhouses, and squares disappeared forever under concrete at that time. The City History Day provides an important platform to make exactly these lost “spaces of remembrance” visible again.
Source:
City History Day remembers vanished buildings
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.