In 1846, the classical philologist 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 train students using original artifacts but also to educate the general public. A significant donation that led to the museum’s founding was a collection of 109 objects from the estate of the Italian collector Giampietro Campana, which was presented in 1846 to Duke Joseph of Saxony-Altenburg, who sent the objects directly to Jena. Further donations and acquisitions—particularly those made by Goettling during his 1852 trip to Greece, including the significant collection of finds by the “Jena Painter”— —as well as those made under the directors Ferdinand Noack and Botho Graef—expanded the collection to include, among 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-Gotha; and the Prussian King Frederick William IV. Funds were raised through the “Academic Rosen Lectures,” which were established to finance the acquisition of plaster casts of ancient sculptures in particular. To mark the museum’s 180th anniversary, a special exhibition is being held in the historic rooms of the Institute for Classical Studies at Fürstengraben 25, illustrating the history and development of the antiquities collections through selected donations.
Guided tour at 6:00 p.m.: “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 collection’s history and the donors—some of whom were prominent figures—who shaped the diverse collection of casts and originals in the University of Jena’s antiquities collections.
Guided tour at 8:00 p.m.: “Layers of Antiquity – Architecture and Architectural Sculpture Revealed”
High above the heads of viewers, ancient architecture was often adorned with figurative representations. On this tour, you’ll learn what could be seen from a distance of 20 meters, what tricks and techniques the sculptors used to enhance visibility, and which themes were chosen.
