Life in Jena

This is where they sit side by side - Jena students and theater producers: in Schiller's Theatercafe, which is probably the most well-known theme cafe in town. The walls here are covered with pictures of famous plays. The students chat to each other at the tables, while in another part of the room, directors plan their next performance at the adjacent theater. Goethe and Schiller's poetic and philosophical spirit fills the air.

"Hanfried" and the love of parties

From the Theatercafe, it's just a few steps to Jena's city center with its cafes, bars and shops around the central campus of Friedrich Schiller University in Ernst-Abbe-Platz. Whoever strolls through these old streets in the evening can suddenly find that the next morning's lecture no longer seems like an appealing idea. And whether the monument in the market square helps is questionable. It's a commemorative statue of Jena University's founder, Johann Friedrich I, known to most people as simply "Hanfried."

Jena's cultural landscape quickly changed after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Exhibitions, clubs, theaters, museums, modern libraries and collections - Jena has a wealth of historic, as well as contemporary art and culture. A special highlight is the seven-week long festival Kulturarena, which takes place every summer. It attracts over 60,000 visitors and features concerts, films and theater performances.

Help for foreign students

A large portion of foreign students lives in one of the 22 student dormitories managed by the Jena student union. The International Office is responsible for allocations. Those who apply early are guaranteed to get a spot. The staff here is also very keen to help international students with other questions and problems, and some of the dorms have special mentors who look after students from foreign countries.

Author: Ronny Arnold