Turning experience into the future

Last Friday (June 5, 2026), citizens discussed their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic at the Future Workshop as part of the City of Jena's Pandemic Preparedness Strategy working group at the IGS Grete Unrein - and collected suggestions for better crisis preparedness. This was preceded by meetings with politicians, experts and randomly drawn citizens as well as various digital participation formats.

The coronavirus pandemic was a formative and stressful time for many people. Decisions had to be made under great uncertainty and time pressure - with the aim of protecting people. Some felt that the protective measures were necessary, while others felt that they were too far-reaching, insufficiently explained or not scrutinized enough. This is precisely why the future workshop deliberately focused on an open exchange of different perspectives.

In several work phases, the participants first gathered critical experiences and then developed concrete proposals for further precautions. Criticism was not spared, including criticism of the traceability and transparency of decisions, the treatment of particularly vulnerable people - for example in care facilities - and the division of the population into groups.

The event was moderated by the Organizational Consulting Institute of Thuringia (ORBIT), which is now compiling and documenting the results. Together with the findings from the previous meetings of the working group and the digital participation formats, they will form the basis for a final report to be presented to the city council.

Kathleen Lützkendorf, Head of the Department for Social Affairs, Health, Immigration and Climate, particularly appreciates the willingness of the participants to remain in contact with each other despite their differing perspectives: "The coronavirus pandemic has unsettled many people, put a strain on them and in some cases also distanced them from each other. This makes it all the more important to create spaces in which different experiences can be expressed and heard. I was impressed by the respect and openness with which the participants presented their points of view. People who talk to each other don't have to be of the same opinion. But listening to each other and taking a serious interest in the experiences of others are important prerequisites for strengthening trust and developing good solutions for the future together."

The Pandemic Preparedness Strategy working group was set up to learn lessons from the coronavirus period and better prepare Jena for future crises. The difficult time of the pandemic will continue to have an impact for a long time to come - making this joint approach all the more important. The city of Jena sees the participation process as an important contribution to democratic culture and strengthening social resilience.