Institute of Optics and Quantum Electronics

Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena

Information about the building

The main building of the physics department houses the lecture hall 1, where 546 people can be seated, a library, several seminar rooms, rooms for different practical courses, laboratories and offices. At present it houses the deanery and our institute.
In 1958, when Prof. Wilhelm Schütz was dean, this building was designed by the architect Georg Schirrmeister from Weimar. It was purpose-build for teaching experimental physics, not only to students of physics, but also to students of other departments. Therefor it was necessary to create a lecture hall, which can house more than 500 people. In 1956 the first part of the complex, the u-shaped building containing the lecture hall with its facilities for demonstrating physical experiments, library and several other rooms was inaugurated. The second part with mainly laboratories was completed in 1962.
In the entrance hall is a large painting by Rudolf G. Werner. It shows Otto von Guericke with the two hemisphere of Magdeburg. It should remind you off the enthusiasm and seriousness for physical experimentation of the mayor of Magdeburg as well as commemorate the rebuilding after the thirty year war and encourage people for the rebuild after world war II.
To either side of the building there are cast bronze busts, which show the scientists Rutherford as the founder of the atomic model and Max Planck as the founder of the quantum physics.
The leaded glass windows deal with subjects of energy and traffic.
An major refurbishment was carried out in the nineties