Schiller’s Garden House

The garden house with its extension built by Ernst Abbe is a symbol of the Friedrich Schiller University, as it marries two of the University's traditions: that of philosophy and art from around 1800, which made Jena one of the leading universities in Europe; and that of the natural sciences and technology, which led to the optical industry being established in Jena, through the collaboration between Ernst Abbe, Otto Schott, and Carl Zeiss. Friedrich Schiller spent the three summers from 1797 to 1799 in the garden house with his family. There, he composed ballads and worked on his dramas, in particular the 'Wallenstein' trilogy. An exhibition in his house introduces visitors to Schiller's years in Jena. Today, his summer residence is used for research, the transfer of knowledge, and cultural education for young and old.