Schiller's Gartenhaus

The Garden House is a symbol of the Friedrich Schiller University, as two of its traditions meet here: on the one hand, the philosophical and artistic tradition around 1800, which made Jena one of the most important universities in Europe, and on the other, the scientific and technological tradition, which led to the establishment of the optical industry in Jena through the cooperation of Ernst Abbe, Otto Schott and Carl Zeiss. In 1811 - six years after Schiller's death - the property was acquired by the Weimar state in order to build the first Jena observatory at the request of Duke Carl August. Ernst Abbe lived in the garden house as director of this facility from 1878 to 1886. The first meeting between Abbe and the glass chemist Otto Schott also took place here in 1881, laying the foundations for future collaboration in the manufacture of optical devices. After extensive restoration work in 1987-89, the garden house is now open to visitors as a museum of the Friedrich Schiller University.

Schiller's Gartenhaus offers a diverse program of events presented in various series. In addition to established formats (such as "Die Gunst des Augenblicks. Lyrik und Prosa der Gegenwart", "Fragen der Gegenwart - ein Dialog", "Theorie und Praxis der Übersetzung", "Tag des offenen Gartens", "Senioren-Akademie") and artistic exhibitions and artist talks, there are regular lectures, book presentations, readings and discussions, particularly on culture around 1800 and on topics relating to the history of the university and the city.