Municipal social strategy
Kofinanziert von der Europäischen Union
© Freistaat Thüringen
General information
The city of Jena is a respected business and science location. Nevertheless, the issues of poverty and social inequality are relevant for the city, as not all people are able to benefit equally from economic development. The city of Jena is therefore using the Social Strategy Guideline, which is funded by the Free State of Thuringia and the ESF Plus, to implement municipal strategies to prevent and combat poverty.
The focus of the current project phase is on updating the poverty prevention strategy and its further development as part of the municipal social strategy. The central aim of the municipal social strategy is to promote active inclusion with a view to improving equal opportunities and active participation as well as increasing the employability of disadvantaged groups of people by developing a needs-based social and educational infrastructure.
Poverty prevention strategy
The poverty prevention strategy is a key component of the municipal social strategy of the city of Jena. Thematic fields of action, goals and measures for poverty prevention and poverty reduction in Jena were developed on the basis of regular social monitoring and as part of a comprehensive participation process.
The fields of action of the city of Jena's poverty prevention strategy are
- Control, planning and information,
- Economic situation and unemployment,
- Housing in Jena,
- Education,
- Participation of children and young people,
- participation of older people and
- health.
The poverty prevention strategy as part of the municipal social strategy of the city of Jena was adopted by the Jena City Council on 29.10.2025.
Integration concept
The overall concept for the social participation of people with a migration background in the city of Jena (integration concept) has been in place since 2008 and was updated in 2016, 2020 and 2024. With this continuity, the city of Jena ensures that it both takes into account the needs of the growing number of residents with a history of migration in Jena and regularly takes a critical look at its own services and opening processes.
The proportion of people with a migration background in the total population rose to 18.2 percent by the end of 2024. Thanks to the attractiveness of our city as a place to live, work and train, migration is and remains both a normality, an opportunity and a challenge.
In the 2024 update, the system of eight fields of action with strategic guiding principles, which in turn are underpinned by operational objectives and measures, developed in the last update in 2020, was retained. Measures were updated, deadlines were reviewed and practical examples were added. A particular focus was placed on the promotion of voluntary work not only for, but also by people with a history of migration, as well as the importance of networking between all municipal stakeholders in the field of action.
The integration concept as part of the municipal social strategy of the city of Jena was adopted by the Jena City Council on 29.10.2025.
10-point action plan against racism
The 10-point action plan against racism (10 PPA) is based on the city council resolution "Jena is a city against racism" of 16 July 2020, which stipulated, among other things, that the city of Jena would join the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ECCAR). The prerequisite for joining ECCAR was a local action plan. The first version of Jena's action plan was developed in a broad-based participatory process between March and September 2021. It was adopted by the city council on 08.12.2021. The city of Jena was then accepted into ECCAR in June 2022.
In the tradition of civil society participation, the 10 PPA provides for the establishment of a steering group. It has the central task of updating the 10 PPA. The first update therefore took place in the second half of 2024 in close coordination with the steering group established in 2022.
In the course of the first update of the 10 PPA, all 46 measures of the first 10 PPA were initially reviewed with regard to their implementation status and restructured depending on this. Some successfully implemented measures remain as permanent tasks, while others now fall under the heading of what has already been achieved. Similarly, measures that have not been implemented or have only been partially implemented were reviewed with regard to their future significance and, in some cases, adapted by being revised or reformulated. The focus here is particularly on measures to empower those affected by racism as well as the city of Jena as a promoter of equal opportunities and dealing with racism through education and in educational institutions.
The 10-point action plan against racism as part of the municipal social strategy of the City of Jena was adopted by the Jena City Council on 29.10.2025.