Jena, 18.07.2026 – The Zeiss-Planetarium in Jena has reopened its doors following a multi-month renovation phase. Marking its 100th anniversary, the world’s oldest large-scale planetarium presents comprehensive technical upgrades.
- Event: Reopening & 100th Anniversary Celebration
- Location: Zeiss-Planetarium, Jena
- Start of regular operations: Sunday, July 19, 2026
- Highlight: Fulldome Festival 2026
Comprehensive technical modernization
The renovation focused on a complete overhaul of the dome infrastructure. The old projection surface was dismantled and replaced with a new system that enables seamless image transitions. Furthermore, the projection technology has been brought up to the latest standard: eleven 4K projectors now work together to create an 8K dome image, ensuring an immersive space experience.
Special attention was paid to the audio system. With the installation of Holoplot technology, which is already in use at the Las Vegas Sphere, over 1,000 speakers have been integrated. This allows for precise sound control, for example, for multilingual offerings within different seating blocks.
Fulldome Festival as a kick-off
The reopening coincides with the start of the 20th Fulldome Festival. The program includes international 360-degree productions, musical events, and evening functions. Following the internal celebration on Saturday, regular public operations will commence on Sunday.
🏛️ 100 years of the star theater
The Zeiss-Planetarium was inaugurated in 1926 and is considered the cradle of modern planetarium technology. As part of the Zeiss site in Jena, it holds central importance for the optical industry and the city’s history of science. The current anniversary modernization represents the largest technical upgrade in years and secures operations for future generations. Accompanying the anniversary, a special construction kit is being released that faithfully replicates the iconic building.
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Holiday tip – New Zeiss-Planetarium for the anniversary
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.