- Measure: Exposure of the vault caps and removal of construction debris.
- Date: Crane deployment on Tuesday (10.02.2026) at Kirchplatz.
- Participants: EKM, Monument Office, Archaeology of the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
- Background: Emergency renovation after plaster fell in June 2025.
- Donation status: Over 65,000 Euro already received.
Jena. Renovation work on Jena’s most significant sacred building, the Stadtkirche St. Michael, is visibly progressing. As the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM) reports, a decisive logistical step is now imminent, which will also briefly shape the scene at Kirchplatz.
Crane deployment planned at Kirchplatz
In recent days, there has been a flurry of activity under the roof of the hall church. In the first phase of construction, craftsmen and specialists have cleared the so-called vault caps of overlying materials. These are mostly remnants of earlier construction and renovation measures that had remained in the roof space for decades or even centuries. The goal of this laborious work is to be able to fully inspect the historical vaulting from above for the first time.
The removed material was not simply disposed of but initially stored in sturdy “Bigbags” directly under the roof structure. Tomorrow, Tuesday, it will become visible to passers-by at Kirchplatz: a crane is to be set up to transport the heavy bags down from the heights in a controlled manner. Anyone traveling in the city center on Tuesday should be prepared for corresponding cordons and construction traffic in the Kirchplatz area.
Archaeologists from the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena search for traces
The clearing of the attic is not just about removing construction debris, but also about urban history. The parish is working closely with the Department of Pre- and Protohistorical Archaeology at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena. University staff will sift through the removed material. There is high hope that the fill layers contain historical objects that allow conclusions to be drawn about earlier construction phases or artisanal life in old Jena. Every find is to be professionally classified and documented.
Once the coarse materials are removed, the top of the vault will be made almost clinically clean in a further step: special vacuums are to remove the fine dust so that experts can check the building fabric and potential cracks without any visual obstruction. The entire process is closely monitored by the Monument Office to protect the historical substance of the Late Gothic church.
Sins of the 1950s are being corrected
The current renovation is not a purely cosmetic measure but became urgently necessary for safety reasons. A moment of shock in June 2025 was the trigger: at that time, a palm-sized piece of plaster fell from the vault into the nave. Fortunately, no one was harmed, but investigations brought a structural problem to light.
Experts found that iron pins were used during repairs in the 1950s. In the post-war period, building materials were scarce, and people often resorted to what was available — even if it was not ideally built for eternity. These iron pins have corroded over the decades. Due to the rust, their volume increased, which exerted so-called expansion pressure on the surrounding plaster and masonry, eventually leading to the detachment. The current renovation corrects these material defects of the past.
Great willingness to donate among Jena citizens
The renovation of such a monument is expensive, but the people of Jena stand behind their city church. As the parish reports, more than 65,000 Euro in donations have already been received. This underlines the importance of Stadtkirche St. Michael not only as a place of worship but as a central landmark and meeting point in the heart of the city on the Saale. Further investigations will now show how extensive the work on the vault will have to be in detail.