Jena, 18.04.2026 – Sports and municipal politics kept Jena in suspense over the past week: While basketball Bundesliga team Science City Jena parted ways with its head coach prematurely, Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche provided information in his current video review about innovations in the municipal regulatory service and planned funding projects.
- Sports News: Immediate release of Science City head coach Björn Harmsen
- City News 1: New bicycle squad of the regulatory authority (in service since April 13, 2026)
- City News 2: Funding for the enhancement of the „Saalepromenade“ in Jena South
Coaching Shake-up at Science City Jena
On Wednesday afternoon, those responsible for the basketball Bundesliga team Science City Jena reacted to the negative sporting trend of recent weeks. Head coach Björn Harmsen was released with immediate effect. According to an official statement, the club and Harmsen had previously agreed to end their cooperation regularly in the coming summer. However, the ongoing sporting downward spiral forced the management of Baskets Jena GmbH to take early action.
Bicycle Squad and Urban Development
In addition to the sporting bombshell, urban developments were also in focus this week. In his weekly video message, Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche addressed, among other things, the modernization of municipal authorities. Since April 13, 2026, a newly founded bicycle squad of the Jena regulatory authority has been on duty in the city area to ensure a more flexible and environmentally friendly presence in public spaces.
Furthermore, urban planning and social measures are on the agenda: The Saaleaue in the south of the city is to be further enhanced through targeted funding and redesigned into a usable „Saalepromenade“. A currently ongoing survey on the targeted strengthening of community housing projects as well as a call for the promotion of young volunteering also shaped the city news of the week.
Science City Jena has been the city’s sporting flagship in the field of basketball for years. Home games in the arena in the Burgau district regularly attract thousands of fans. In performance-oriented professional sports, premature coaching changes are a frequently used instrument to set new impulses for the team in sporting crisis situations.
Away from sports, the introduction of a municipal bicycle squad shows the growing importance of environmentally friendly mobility in Jena. Especially in the extensive green areas along the Saale and in the central districts, the bicycle offers enormous advantages for regulatory forces. They can patrol parks, narrow alleys, and riverbank paths – such as the future Saalepromenade – significantly faster and more directly than with classic emergency vehicles.
Source:
Weekly Review – Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche looks back on the last week
Transparency Note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.