Overview Open Monument Day

Monument Day on 14.09.2025

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the European Year of Monuments and Sites. It marked a turning point in the treatment of built heritage: the preservation of architectural and archaeological monuments, old town centers, historic towns and ensembles has since been considered a cultural task of the highest order. It was a breakthrough for monument preservation and the accompanying civil society and state commitment. Saving the architectural heritage from demolition and selling out, no longer destroying it, but preserving it: this was decisively initiated by the European Monument Protection Year 1975.

With the campaign "Denkmalpflege. More value than you think." campaign, the Association of Monument Conservation Offices of the Federal States (VDL) reminds us of the importance of monument conservation for people and for our society. It is a reminder of what the public fought for with passion in 1975 - and even back then it was more than just preserving the "old". Monument preservation means promoting sustainable urban development, protecting resources and protecting the climate. Monument preservation reflects our society.

It is often reduced to bureaucracy and supposed obstacles. The MehrWert campaign by the Association of Monument Authorities in the Federal States (VDL) dispels these prejudices and shows the added social value of monument preservation.

"Germany has over 600,000 architectural monuments. They store history and the creative power of generations. Monuments are condensed life, the result of human curiosity and accumulated knowledge. An immeasurable wealth of knowledge that has been built up over centuries."

The motto for Open Monument Day® 2025 also ties in with this campaign:

Motto 2025: "Valuable-full: priceless or irreplaceable"

In its explanations for choosing this motto, the German Foundation for Monument Protection states the following:

"When people think of heritage, they often have land, money and objects in mind. In short: financial values. But there is a heritage that is more sustainable, that belongs to everyone, not just a few: our cultural heritage. Its value is not determined by rating agencies, but by society itself. It increases when people feel connected to their history, their cultural assets. Monument preservation pays into this. Behind every monument are the people who conceived and built it. They maintain and renovate, convert and reuse them. Always in the knowledge that buildings worthy of protection fulfill important tasks in terms of cultural capital. They show what our cultural wealth is built on. Cultural heritage should not be confused with a dominant culture. It does not restrict, it invites. Everyone can benefit from it. Cultural heritage does not set guard rails, but encourages debate. About how cohesion can emerge from the energy source of diversity. A common culture. As a place of encounter, every monument is not least a counterpoint to a society that is becoming individualized. That threatens to divide and lose itself in virtual worlds. We humans are social beings. We need public spaces where we can meet, regardless of whether someone is new or has lived here for ages. Places where we can get involved together - for the neighborhood, the city, the village. Monuments are part of this. The courageously converted church. The renovated library. The historic community hall. The added value we leave behind? Inestimable."

Jena has more than 300 cultural monuments, including larger property complexes such as the old Zwätzen estate, the church and vicarage in Kunitz and the craftsmen's houses in Carl-Zeiß-Straße. There are also 20 monument ensembles and historical parks and gardens such as the Volkspark Oberaue, Drackendorf Park and the Botanical Garden. They all tell stories and histories - about themselves and about those who created, maintained, altered and protected them, but also about those who preserve, reuse and perpetuate the values of these cultural assets.

The aim of monument protection is to preserve cultural monuments with the historical and more recent information inherent in them. In doing so, we also preserve information about the intentions at the time of their creation, the social, political and economic conditions and the intrinsic values of the respective community of remembrance - for our own reflections and discussions and for the development of our own value systems.

Our cultural heritage has much more value than just the building fabric. At its best, it creates meeting spaces, a sense of belonging and participation for everyone. Our cultural monuments make architectural, artistic and intellectual diversity visible. And they preserve craftsmanship.

Around 30 cultural monuments - spread across the entire city of Jena and throughout the day - will once again invite interested visitors on Sunday, September 14. We owe a huge thank you to the monument owners and many volunteers.

The printed programs will be available at the Tourist Information Office and the City Museum from the end of August.

Of course, there may still be changes and cancellations at short notice. You will be informed accordingly in the press and on the website.

Program in Jena: well-known and often overlooked treasures, heirlooms brought out and long-hidden, newly discovered and long-forgotten values

City center

There are monuments that simply have to be opened on every Monument Day. These include the remaining city wall ensemble from the Powder Tower to the Johannistor. Thankfully, JenaKultur is also making it possible to visit them in 2025. There are also many traces of the existing structure that are only recognizable at second glance. With the Jena city archaeologist Dr. Rupp, you can embark on such a search for traces at Johannistor.

The historic Johannisfriedhof cemetery also has a lot to tell , and on Sunday, members of the Förderverein will once again be holding their popular Johannis Market. There are many graves of important personalities and artistically outstanding tombs here. St. John's Cemetery is one of the 30 historically significant cemeteries recognized by the German government. The two churches St. Johannis Baptist and the Garrison/Peace Church belonging to the Johannis Cemetery are also very inviting.

A very special place in Jena is Schiller's garden with the garden house in Schillergäßchen. This year, the university staff have put together an extra colorful program for young and old, for listeners and explorers. The historic Karzer, which is hidden away in the old Collegium Jenense, is also waiting to be discovered. It was extensively restored in 2022. It is only accessible during guided tours. On Monument Day, art history students make this possible. The size of the room and climatic requirements make it necessary to limit the number of visitors to 10.

Most of Jena's municipal museums are housed in cultural monuments. It is therefore almost customary for them to take part in Monument Day. This year, the so-called Romantikerhaus, the Alte & Neue Göhre and the Carmelite Monastery are taking part. JenaKultur is also opening the Villa Rosenthal with its wonderful garden. In the afternoon, you can listen to a musical performance by the trio Theml, Assing & Böhmer about Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel. There will also be musical entertainment at the Glashaus im Paradies from midday . The association is hosting a small celebration to mark 20 years of the glass pavilion's listed status.

On Monument Day, private owners also occasionally invite visitors to their homes, which are protected as cultural monuments. We are very grateful for this. In 2025, the "Bürger" villa is a real treasure trove. The owner - master carpenter Karl Bürger - created unspeakably beautiful wooden works of art here. The wood itself was honored with its own sayings. The number of participants is limited to 12 for each of the two guided tours on offer.

In contrast, there is plenty of space in the former substation, the "Imaginata". The two halls from 1926 and 1942 have already been the subject of the "denkmal aktiv" school project of the German Foundation for Monument Protection. On Monument Day, members of the association will give a guided tour of the facilities.

Carl-Zeiß-Platz was once a highlight of Jena in terms of urban development and is still a focal point of the Zeiss-Abbe legacy today. The monumental memorial pavilion to Ernst Abbe stands in the center and opens its bronze and glass doors. The Volkshaus, built on Abbe's initiative, also becomes "...a house open to all". The Jena Philharmonic Orchestra also celebrates the opening of its season in the Volkshaus on Open Monument Day® under the direction of General Music Director Simon Gaudenz. The buildings in the adjacent Carl-Zeiß-Str. 6 - 10 have already been scheduled for demolition several times. This idea has always been opposed with reference to their urban planning, cultural and historical value. On Monument Day, the Ernst Abbe Foundation will be opening No. 10, explaining its renovation plans and is sure to surprise visitors. To the west of the craftsmen's houses is the so-called Bachstrasse area. The former state sanatoriums form an ensemble that has grown over 200 years. On Monument Day, a joint guided tour by the State Monument Office, the Lower Monument Protection Authority and the town planning department will be devoted to the development of the area, the structures and building histories that characterize its heritage value.

Valuable monument landscape in Jena's surroundings, the rural districts and historic town centers

Up in the forest, three monuments can be visited at once: The Berggesellschaft Forsthaus opens Bismarck Tower and Forstturm. The members of the Volkssternwarte Urania Jena e.V., who look after the technical monument on a voluntary basis, invite you to dome tours in the small forest observatory not far from the forest tower.

The churches in the former villages and historic town centers are among the special treasures of the cultural landscape. In the 15th century, one important stonemason left a particularly large mark in Jena and the surrounding area: Peter Heierliß (Harlaß). In addition to the double-station plaque at St. John's Cemetery and St. Michael's Church, his stonemason's mark can also be found at the Church of Our Lady in Wenigenjena (Schiller Church) and the Church of St. Mary in Ziegenhain. Both churches are open. Throughout the day, various parishioners in Ziegenhain will also be offering guided tours and talks on the history, building and furnishings. An organ concert will bring the day to a close.

The Gothic choir of St. Peter's Church, which today dominates the skyline of Lobeda, was built between 1477 and 1483 as part of the reconstruction. The interior contains valuable large-scale late Gothic wall and ceiling paintings. In addition to the church, you can also visit the courtyard of the rectory in Ernst-Thälmann-Straße, which is also a cultural monument. The "Zum Bären" inn on Marktstraße in Altlobeda, just a few meters away, is also very inviting.

It is only a stone's throw from Lobeda to Drackendorf. The local church "Auferstehung Christi" also invites you into its cool walls for the day. The church is located on the edge of Drackendorf Park. By 2021, the original design idea of the landscaped park has been largely restored in coordination with nature conservation concerns. The Drackendorf local history association invites you to the fair at the teahouse on Sunday.

On the opposite bank of the Saale in Burgau, the so-called Binderburg - a villa in neo-Romanesque castle style - towers on the rock, visible from afar. Since 2003, the owners have devoted a great deal of love and commitment to the extensive restoration of the villa and castle complex. The city and state have supported and continue to support the project as best they can with subsidies for the preservation of historical monuments. In the meantime, the "Binderburg" has developed into a nationally renowned meeting place for craftswomen, artists and cultural workers. The outdoor facilities are open to the public on Monument Day. The owners invite visitors to a small medieval festival with live production of hemp clay and lime and a wood construction activity for children, archery with costumes and all kinds of food and drink. There are also cave tours.

In the very south of Jena lies the picturesque Leutra. A walk here is always worthwhile. On Sundays, you can also visit the fortified church of St. Nicholas, built in the 12th century, and follow the knowledgeable explanations of Mrs. Junghans from the parish. The Leutra upper mill on the edge of the village was probably built in the mid-18th century. The mill ceased operation in 1960. Vacancy and neglected maintenance measures led to a massive loss of substance. The revocation of the monument status was discussed several times. Since 2019, conversion and renovation measures have been carried out to convert the facility for residential use. Mr. Spehr explains the challenges and solutions during a guided tour. As the complex is inhabited, the number of participants must be limited to 30.

Registration for events with a limited number of participants by 12.09.2025

Pre-registration is mandatory for events with a limited number of participants (Historischer Karzer, Villa "Bürger", Obermühle Leutra). Registrations will be acceptedon 09.09.2025 and 11.09.2025 from 08:30 - 11:30 and 13:00 - 15:30 on the telephone number 0049 3641 49-5141 or by e-mail at denkmalamt@jena.de until 12.09.2025.

Note for families

Children are very welcome everywhere. But sometimes listening and watching alone is too boring in the long run. In Schiller's Garden & Garden House and at the medieval festival at the so-called Binderburg in Burgau, everyone can get really active. Take a closer look at the program.

And what else?

We look forward to receiving photographic impressions of the day - also from the eyes of children or teenagers. We are grateful for tips and additions to our monuments. Simply send them to denkmalamt@jena.de