Jena, 15.05.2026. The Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena invites you to the exciting theme week “What is Life?” from May 18 to 22, 2026. Interested parties can expect a total of 34 diverse events providing fascinating insights into current scientific research in the Lichtstadt.
- What: Theme week “What is Life?”
- When: May 18 to 22, 2026
- Where: Various locations (including Beutenberg-Campus, Botanischer Garten, Phyletisches Museum)
- Target group: Everyone interested, regardless of prior knowledge
- Program & Registration: To the official website of the FSU
Experience science up close
Under the guiding principle of the question regarding the origin and definition of life, researchers are opening their doors to the public. The wide-ranging program is explicitly aimed at laypeople and requires no scientific prior knowledge. The schedule includes not only classic lectures but also interactive workshops and completely new, creative formats of knowledge transfer.
A special highlight of the event series is the laboratory and collection tours. Here, visitors get the rare opportunity to explore research areas that are otherwise closed and to talk directly with the scientists on-site. The stations are distributed across important research hubs in the city. The week concludes with a large public panel discussion, where experts from various disciplines summarize and debate the findings of the week.
Background: Research locations in Jena
The Friedrich-Schiller-Universität (FSU) Jena, with its diverse research areas, is the scientific engine of the region. The venues selected for the theme week reflect the scientific history and present of the city:
- Beutenberg-Campus: This area in the south of Jena is considered the undisputed center for life sciences and physics. Numerous institutes of the Max-Planck and Leibniz societies work here interdisciplinary according to the motto “Life Science meets Physics”.
- Phyletisches Museum: Founded in 1907 by the famous zoologist Ernst Haeckel, the museum is unique worldwide in its focus on evolutionary history – a thematically perfect location for the question “What is Life?”.
- Botanischer Garten: With a history of over 430 years, the university facility is one of the oldest botanical gardens in Germany and makes the diversity of life tangible through around 10,000 plant species.
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Theme week “What is Life?”
Transparency note: This article was automatically created, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.