Jena Lokal - Local News, Events & Culture
Your update on city life, tips, and upcoming events in Jena.
Jena, May 22, 2026 – The course for the cultural infrastructure of the City of Light is being reset: The city administration is submitting a resolution proposal to the city council that could mean the end of the planned new rehearsal center for the Jenaer Philharmonie and an independent Kunsthaus. Due to the tight budget situation, the general renovation of the “Göhre” is to be given top priority instead.
The city of Jena has presented its comprehensive “Innenstadtvision 2035” concept to the city development committee, aiming to make the city center more attractive, greener, and multifunctional over the next decade.
The skyline of Jena’s city center has gained a new glowing attraction: at the top of the new high-rise on the Campus Inselplatz, the name of the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität and its motto have recently begun shining over the city’s rooftops.
JENA-LOBEDA, May 20, 2026 – The vacant old Schwimmhalle in Lobeda-West is entering a new phase of use. A newly signed cooperation agreement aims to revitalize the prominent building in the district and open it for culture, community meetings, and various temporary projects.
The old swimming pool in Jena-Lobeda is facing a fundamental realignment. Based on a new feasibility study, the building is to serve as a leisure and adventure venue for the district in the future.
The Jena City Council has adopted a comprehensive strategy to combat illegal graffiti and tags while promoting legal street art spaces and improving reporting channels for citizens.
The prominent excavation pit at Inselplatz in Jena will remain for the time being. Currently, the Thüringer Landesamt für Bau und Verkehr (TLBV) is using the area as an interim storage site for construction materials while the completion of the rest of the Inselplatz takes priority.
Jena, April 30, 2026 – The city of Jena is taking more consistent action against illegal graffiti and has presented a new concept for combating it. In addition to prevention, the focus is primarily on financial support for affected property owners.
The housing cooperative “Carl Zeiss” eG is investing heavily in the Jena-Nord residential location. By the end of 2030, a total of 60 modern apartments are to be brought onto the market through a mix of renovation, floor additions, and new construction in Leipziger Straße and Scharnhorststraße.
Starting April 25, 2026, the Freiluft-StadtLab returns to Jena’s city center, transforming Engelplatz and Theatervorplatz into creative open-air zones for innovation and community encounters.