180 Years of the University of Jena’s Archaeological Museum – from then to now

In 1846, the classical scholar Carl Wilhelm Goettling founded the Archaeological Museum of the University of Jena, which was initially housed in the main building of the City Palace and was intended not only to provide students with training using original artefacts but also to serve the educational needs of the wider public. A significant donation that led to the museum’s foundation was 109 objects from the collection of the Italian collector Giampietro Campana, which were presented in 1846 to Duke Joseph of Saxony-Altenburg, who sent the objects directly to Jena. Further donations and acquisitions, particularly by Goettling during his 1852 tour of Greece – including the significant collection of finds by the ‘Jena Painter’ – as well as under the directors Ferdinand Noack and Botho Graef, expanded the collection to include, amongst other things, 604 plaster casts of ancient sculptures and more than 1,700 ancient ceramics, terracottas, small bronzes and coins from the Mediterranean region. The museum received significant donations from regional royal houses, including the Duchesses of Weimar, Sophie and Maria Pavlovna, Duke Ernst II of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the Prussian King Frederick William IV. Funds were raised through the ‘Akademische Rosenvorlesungen’ (Academic Rose Lectures), which were established to enable the purchase, in particular, of plaster casts of ancient sculptures. To mark the museum’s 180th anniversary, a special exhibition is being held in the historic rooms of the Institute of Classical Studies at Fürstengraben 25, illustrating the history and development of the antiquities collections through selected donations.

Guided tour at 6.00 pm: ‘Of Plaster Casts and Donors – 180 Years of the Jena Archaeological Museum’

In 2026, the Chair of Classical Archaeology will celebrate the 180th anniversary of the Archaeological Museum – even though it no longer exists in its original form today. The guided tour provides an overview of the history of the collection and the donors – some of whom were prominent figures – who have shaped the diverse collection of casts and originals in the University of Jena’s antiquities collections.

Guided tour at 8.00 pm: ‘Layers of Antiquity – Architecture and Architectural Sculpture Revealed’

High above the heads of viewers, ancient architecture was often adorned with figurative representations. On this guided tour, you can discover what could be seen from a distance of 20 metres, the tricks and techniques used by the sculptors to enhance visibility, and the themes they chose.