Jena, March 12, 2026 – This coming Saturday, the history of the city on the Saale takes center stage. Under the motto “Spaces of Remembrance: Jena’s Disappeared Buildings,” City History Day highlights buildings and locations that no longer exist today.
- What: City History Day 2026
- When: Saturday, March 14, 2026
- Where: Site of the former Alte Bibliothek
- Program & Info: www.jenakultur.de/de/1043274
Remembering Old Jena
Where were historically significant buildings located in the city, why did they disappear, and how is their memory kept alive today? These core questions shape the extensive program, which consists of lectures, guided city tours, interactive workshops, and film screenings. The aim is to illustrate how strongly personal and collective memories are tied to physical locations and what their loss means for society.
The Roots of the ThULB
The central venue for the keynote speeches and discussions is the site of the Alte Bibliothek. A special focus of the event is the history of the Thuringian University and State Library (ThULB). Its origins date back to 1549 to the so-called Bibliotheca Electoralis. The once magnificent Alte Bibliothek fell victim to air raids in 1945.
Background: Jena’s Historical Center and the Year 1945
In the spring of 1945, a few weeks before the end of World War II, the university city experienced the most severe destruction in its history. Allied bomber formations flew several massive air raids in February and March. Although these military operations primarily targeted local industry and railway infrastructure, the historical Altstadt was hit hard and largely destroyed. In addition to the Alte Bibliothek, countless historical half-timbered buildings, townhouses, and architectures defining the cityscape were irretrievably destroyed. Today’s cityscape in the center is significantly shaped by post-war reconstruction and urban planning in the following decades.
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Remembering Jena’s disappeared buildings
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