What will happen to the old indoor swimming pool in Lobeda-West?

There are many ideas as to how the old indoor swimming pool in Lobeda-West could be used in the future. But which of them are actually feasible? The city of Jena has now presented an interim status report to the Committee for Urban Development and the Environment on Thursday, 12.02.2026.

"There is a great deal of interest in the reuse of the old indoor swimming pool. There are many good proposals that are desirable and would offer added value. But the decision must be carefully considered,"

emphasizes Dirk Lange, Head of Urban Development and Environment.

"We are working closely with Jenaer Bäder und Freizeit GmbH, the owner of the hall, to find a viable solution."

Feasibility study in progress

A feasibility study is currently being carried out to clarify what use is possible for the hall. It was commissioned by Jenaer Bäder und Freizeit GmbH and should be completed by the end of March.

Participation to date

The study will also incorporate the results of previous participation. Around 2,700 people took part in an online survey in summer 2024. Their wishes ranged from sport and exercise to culture and meeting and leisure facilities.

Based on this, the city administration carried out a three-stage workshop process in spring 2025. Participants included the city sports association, surrounding schools, JenaKultur, the youth parliament, the district mayor as well as specialist departments and municipal institutions. The process was accompanied by the external office "Die Zukunftsoptimisten UG".

One of the ideas considered was to use the former pool area for open leisure, exercise or cultural activities. Other areas could be used as rehearsal rooms, for subcultural activities, sports activities or gastronomy. It is also being examined whether individual rooms can be used temporarily until a final decision is made - also as a test for possible future use.

Background

With the opening of the new "swimming paradise" in Karl-Marx-Allee in August 2023, the original use of the indoor swimming pool in Lobeda-West was discontinued. At the end of November 2024, the Jena City Council commissioned the city administration to examine a possible subsequent use of the hall.