Did you know ...

A school for advanced learning was established in Jena in 1548 and declared a university nine years later. During his training as an engineer, Carl Zeiss attended lectures there. He opened his workshop for precision mechanics in 1846 and succeeded his mentor Friedrich Körner as University Mechanic in 1860.

The company Carl Zeiss has been closely connected to what is now known as Friedrich-Schiller University and its scientific institutes for more than 160 years. This cooperation focuses on optics. For example, Carl Zeiss recently increased its sponsorship of the Abbe School of Photonics to 2014 with a total value of 500,000 euros. The company will hold its 6th open house on 1 October for anyone interested in getting a closer look at the optical departments at Carl Zeiss in Jena, as well as the other areas of the company.

The city of Jena has become a center for science and research. More than 25,000 students are enrolled at its two universities. Among the 30 internationally renowned research institutes are three Max-Planck, two Leibniz and one Fraunhofer and Helmholtz Institutes. Medical research, which ensures that patients are treated with the latest in medicine, is conducted at the university hospital. This has not gone unnoticed in Germany. The Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft (a joint initiative of German industries to promote science and higher education) bestowed the title of City of Science on Jena in 2008.

March 23, 2011