JenAlumni Newsletter

Research

Origin of mummies analysed 

An interdisciplinary research group has comprehensively analysed fragments of 15 mummies from the University of Jena's collections for the first time. The study, led by Dr Enrico Paust, provides insights into the origin and history of the mummified objects. It also shows how difficult provenance research is when there is a lack of information. Nevertheless, it was possible to gain insights into the Jena mummy fragments, for example by examining the fabric used to wrap the human remains from Egypt and South America. The material provides valuable information and serves not least as a dating aid. The study has been published in the "Annals of the History and Philosophy of Biology".
Learn more

Since 2018, researchers have been jointly investigating the eventful history of our university's founding site across the boundaries of academic disciplines. A film team is always on hand in their search for clues. The fifth and sixth instalments of the documentary film series "The Kollegienhof" have now been released
VideosExternal link

Diversity protects

Areas with high plant diversity are better able to regulate soil temperature in both extreme heat and cold. This was reported by a research team from Jena University, Leipzig University, the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig (iDiv) and other research institutions in the journal Nature Geoscience. The researchers obtained the underlying data from the Jena experiment, which has been collecting data on soil temperature for more than 18 years. This regulating effect of plant diversity has far-reaching effects and is crucial for slowing down and mitigating the consequences of climate change, among other things.
Learn more

The differences between East and West are melting

When asked about their quality of life, people in East and West Germany or people in rural and urban areas hardly differ in their assessments. This is one of the findings of the first Germany Monitor, which was presented recently. The study also shows that people in structurally weak regions feel more left behind than those in structurally strong regions. This feeling is particularly pronounced in structurally weak regions in eastern Germany, which are more affected by ageing and emigration.
Learn more

Living alone doesn't mean to be lonely

Around 20 per cent of Germans live alone - and the trend is rising. This trend can also be observed in most other Western countries. However, contrary to widespread prejudices, living alone does not necessarily mean isolation and loneliness. Psychologists at the University of Jena have discovered this in a study funded by the German Research Foundation. Over a period of three years, they surveyed around 400 people aged between 35 and 60 living alone in the Thuringian urban centres of Erfurt, Weimar, Jena and Gera.
Learn more

Travelling with Karl and Karla into the world of microbes

Anyone interested can now watch the film "Karl and Karla in the Microverse: A journey through the fascinating world of microbes" from the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse".The 15-minute 360-degree adventure shows from the perspective of two drones how important microorganisms are for the health of other living organisms and how they influence processes in ecosystems.Originally made for planetariums, the film can also be viewed on a computer or similar in German or English.
Learn more
VideoExternal link

Reasons to come to Jena again

Caesar, Kleopatra und Co in portrait

A "Hall of Fame" of a somewhat different kind can be admired from 1 February at our university's Institute of Classical Studies. The new special exhibition brings together great names of antiquity, including Homer and Sappho, Pericles and Caesar as well as Augustus and Cleopatra. The portraits - mainly plaster casts - come from the Jena University collection, supplemented by loans from the University of Leipzig.
Learn more

Gowns - between mustiness and autonomy

"Does this have a future or can it go?" asks a new special exhibition at the Thuringian University and State Library (ThULB). On display are pictures by Carlotta Wegener, who photographed professors at our university in their gowns. At the University of Jena, the traditional robes are worn at festive events such as the matriculation ceremony;
The exhibition on the "Jena gown tradition" can be seen from 31 January to 30 April 2024 in the Thuringian University and State Library Jena (Bibliotheksplatz 2).
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 8-22, Sat 10-20, Sun 10-19 
Learn more de

University summer festival and classical music in the botanical garden

We look forward to the next summer festival (Sommerfest de) on Schiller Day, 28 June 2024.  The following day, the Botanical Garden of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena will be transformed into a garden of classical music de. Tickets are available here:
Tickets summer festivalExternal link
Tickets Classics in the Botanical GardenExternal link

25 years of court opera

Our annual court opera is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and would like to mark the occasion with a very special performance: The opera Salomé by Antoine Mariotte. The abysmal and captivating story between Princess Salomé and the prophet Iokanaan will be told as a mystical psychogram in the style of the fin de siècle.
Sebastian Krahnert, Head of the Music Department at Friedrich Schiller University, would like to have a new stage built for this performance with the help of a crowdfunding campaign. What began more improvised and spontaneously in 1999 with Mozart's Zaide in the idyllic and acoustically ideal inner courtyard of Jena's main university building has now developed into a permanent and popular fixture in Jena's cultural calendar. The performances take place from 15 June.
Learn more de
Opera CrowdfundingExternal link