Important personalities
A selection from over 450 years of university history
elector Johann Friedrich I.
Elector Johann Friedrich I (1503-1554) is the founder of the University of Jena, which officially opened its doors in 1558. He is the most important person for the university, because without him the University of Jena would not exist.
For over 450 years, thousands of professors have taught here, hundreds of thousands have studied at the university in Jena. Many have achieved great things, quite a few are world-famous.
You will find a few important personalities on the subpage "Notable university teachers and students"; the selection of people with historical significance was difficult and is certainly not complete. It is intended to give a brief overview of who taught, researched, studied at the Alma Mater Jenensis - a historical name for the University of Jena.
On the sub-pages on honorary doctors, honorary citizens and honorary senators, it is the date that determines the inclusion. Here, the corresponding persons are listed who have been honoured with these titles since 1990, the year of German reunification, and are thus also part of the university and its rich history.