Community and participation

Associations and getting involved

The majority of people living in Jena are actively involved as volunteers in one of the many sports, cultural or other associations in the city. Being involved in the community helps create a common identity among the city’s population. Open engagement with the local area means you can contribute to things that matter to you. In this way, newcomers can form connections and feel welcome and at home in Jena.

Religion and places of worship

Jena is a tolerant open-minded city. Around 25% of the population in Jena follow a religion.

As well as Protestant and Catholic churches, Jena also has an Islamic Centre, an Islamic Cultural Association, a Jewish and a Buddhist congregation.

Participation and migrant groups

In Jena, around 16,000 people have a migrant background. This is around 14.5% of the population. There are numerous international and intercultural groups in the city which welcome new and active members. The city of Jena supports equal rights to participation in city life for every citizen. To this end, many different measures have been undertaken, and there are many sources of advice and information available.

There are many community initiatives to encourage participation. These include:

Jena Inklusiv
Three working groups (working; housing and living; children and young people) discuss current developments, successes and areas for action on the subject of inclusion in Jena.

QuerWege e. V.
The QuerWege Association campaigns for an open and individual interpretation of personhood in society. Founded in 1993, around 270 people are currently active in QuerWege.

Frauenzentrum TOWANDA
The Centre campaigns for women’s right to live autonomously, free from violence and to assure their quality of life.

By late 2019 15,793 migrants were resident in Jena. This is around 14.5% of the population. An integration initiative to ensure their participation in social processes has been in existence since 2008 and is developed on a continuous basis.

The aim is to ensure that the needs of the growing number of residents in Jena with a migration background are taken into account.

The Jena Integration Advisory Council acts to represent the political interests of migrants. This panel advises the city authorities in all matters pertaining to migrants and integration issues.