Jena Declaration

To mark the 112th Annual Meeting of the German Zoological Society in Jena in September 2019, the Institute for Zoology and Evolutionary Research of Friedrich Schiller University is organising an evening event on the subject of ‘Jena, Haeckel and the question of human races, or racism creates races’.

The joint declaration below provides information on this topic and was approved by the German Zoological Society and the President of Friedrich Schiller University Jena, who support the authors in their effort to act against scientific legitimations of racism.

In spring 2023, the Thuringian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports published a handout for schools entitled "The 'Jena Declaration against Racism' and its application in the classroom" de. It was written by Prof. Dr Uwe Hoßfeld and Dr Karl Porges from the University of Jena. The publication is available as a download or in book form on request.

Also published in 2023 was the book "Overcoming the Concept of 'Race'. The Jena Declaration in (Higher) Education", edited by biology didactician Dr Karl Porges. It brings together contributions from a conference held in Jena in September 2021 under the same title. Contributions from school practice and contributions from conference guests were also included. "Our aim is to build on the Jena Declaration and give teachers a tool for their anti-racism work," says Karl Porges. In part thanks to the support of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the accompanying e-book can be made available free of charge.