Jena is missing something without Anh, Ezra, Ngozi or Jason

Having already joined the Weltoffenes Thüringen initiative in January 2024, the city of Jena is now calling for cosmopolitanism, tolerance and diversity with a municipal campaign. Under the motto "Jena would be missing something without...", the campaign shows what impact it would have on the city if the 19,000 citizens with a history of migration were not part of the city's society.

At the launch of the campaign, Lord Mayor Dr. Thomas Nitzsche emphasized that openness to the world is a prerequisite for a successful future. "We are convinced that if cosmopolitanism is lost here locally, much more will be lost. That is why we must all stand together at the heart of society. Jena would not be the vibrant and dynamic city it is today without the valuable contributions of our foreign fellow citizens. Their commitment, their culture and their perspectives enrich our shared life in many ways and, not least, ensure Jena's success."

Wilfried Röpke, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsförderung Jena mbH, also emphasized how important cosmopolitanism is as a basis for immigration for regional economic strength: "Companies in the Jena region will need more than 20,000 skilled workers in the decade up to 2030. As 'internal' potential is declining due to demographic change, people from abroad are becoming increasingly important. The figures already show this: the number of employees in Jena rose from around 56,500 in 2018 to just under 61,000 in 2023. Skilled workers with a foreign passport are responsible for around 44% of this increase." According to Röpke, the vast majority of these are skilled workers with a higher level of qualification. Immigration thus enables Jena's successful economic development. "The high export rate of the companies, their global markets and customer relationships also show how international Jena is and must remain as a location," says Röpke.

Dörthe Thiele from the Office for Migration and Integration sees the "Jena is missing something without..." campaign as a very good addition to the tasks and activities of the Office for Migration and Integration, because: "Diversity and acceptance have characterized our city for many years. Nevertheless, we must not close our eyes to the fact that people in Jena are also affected by discrimination, exclusion and racism. The number of inquiries and complaints to the city of Jena's anti-discrimination office has been growing steadily for three years. The anti-racism campaign "Jena schau hin" ("Jena looks at it") is committed to making those affected by hostility and racism visible and calling for solidarity with them. For more than ten years, we have also been setting an example for a diverse urban society on Diversity Day in May, including this year on May 28 at the Holzmarkt."

Jena is missing something without its foreign citizens

The campaign "Jena lacks something without..." focuses on the contribution that foreign citizens make to life in Jena. Examples are given for the areas of business, science and culture.
Esra was born in Syria and has lived in Jena since 2016. The young woman is one of the 18 percent of the city's population with a history of migration. Almost 19,000 women, men and children now live in Jena. If they hadn't moved here - like Esra - Jena would have shrunk significantly in recent years and Jena would no longer be a big city.

Ngozi from Nigeria has been working as an engineer in Jena since 2021. He is one of the almost 9 percent of skilled workers in Jena who do not come from Germany. Since 2018, the proportion of foreign employees here has risen steadily from 6.8 percent to almost 9 percent. Like Ngozi, many people with a history of migration in Jena have a high level of education: more than 70 percent have the highest school-leaving qualification - which in Germany corresponds to the Abitur or general higher education entrance qualification. Without people like Ngozi, Jena's economy would be less successful: 44% of the increase in employees subject to social insurance contributions from 2018 to 2023 is based on skilled workers and employees with a foreign passport. More than 70 percent of the foreign workers currently employed in Jena are skilled workers, specialists and experts. Their work strengthens the city's prosperity.

Jason from the United States is stopping off in Jena on his trip to Germany. The 50-year-old wants to visit the planetarium - as do more than 170,000 guests from all over the world every year. In 2023, the tourism industry in Jena counted more than 385,000 overnight stays. Without tourists and guests from abroad like Jason, Jena would have around a third fewer overnight stays and visits to the numerous cultural institutions. This would also mean fewer customers for retailers and restaurants, and businesses would have to close.

Anh from China has been studying at Friedrich Schiller University (FSU) since summer 2023. Like Anh, around a quarter of all students in Jena are not from Germany. At FSU, the proportion of foreign students is a good 14 percent, at Ernst Abbe University it is as high as 19 percent. Like Anh, most international students at FSU come from China (359), followed by India (255) and Iran (166). At the EAH, the most common countries of origin are India (336), Morocco (97) and China (79). Without students like Anh, there would be less money available to fund professorships, chairs and research projects. And fewer foreign researchers also means less international visibility for Jena as a research and science location.

City-wide campaign on various channels

The campaign motifs will be visible in numerous places in Jena from now until the end of May 2024 - including on public transport buses and trains, on posters at bus stops, on digital advertising walls and as large-scale posters, on postcards distributed in Jena's restaurants and at central tourist points, on posters and billboards in municipal facilities, on the meinJena app and on the City of Light's social media channels.

All motifs with the corresponding background stories and sources can be found on the website www.jena.de/weltoffen. The website also lists numerous reasons for living in Jena.