Jena, May 01, 2026. At this year’s Thuringian State Biology Olympiad in the subject of biology, 71 students competed in Jena. The main prizes went to young talents from Jena, Ilmenau, and Erfurt.
- Event: Final of the Thuringian State Biology Olympiad
- Venue: Jena
- Participants: 71 qualified finalists from Thüringen
- Winning Cities: Jena, Ilmenau, and Erfurt
- Mentioned Finalists: including Paula Wabersich (Herdergymnasium Nordhausen)
Bright Minds Put Their Knowledge to the Test
The demanding final of the Thuringian State Biology Olympiad took place in Jena. 71 of the Free State’s most gifted students faced tricky theoretical and practical tasks from various biological disciplines. At the end of the competition, participants from the cities of Jena, Ilmenau, and Erfurt took the lead and secured the coveted main prizes.
To reach the final round at all, the young people first had to prove themselves at the school and regional levels. Among the successful finalists who made the leap to Jena was Paula Wabersich, a student at the Herdergymnasium in Nordhausen.
The fact that the State Biology Olympiad is traditionally held in Jena underscores the city’s role as a leading science location in Thüringen. With the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, the Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie (HKI), and the Max-Planck-Institutes, the university city offers an ideal, inspiring environment for the next generation of scientists.
Competitions like the Biology Olympiad not only serve to promote talent in schools but often form the first stepping stone for a later career in medical or biological research. State-level winners usually qualify for the subsequent national rounds. There, the representatives for the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) are ultimately determined. Targeted promotion in the STEM sector (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is a central component of the Thuringian education system to promote academic excellence and counteract the shortage of skilled workers in science and high-tech industries in the long term.
Source:
Competition in Jena: These are the smartest Thuringian students in the subject of biology
Transparency Note: This article was automatically generated, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.