Forty students in the Bachelor’s program in Business Law took part in a two-day field trip to one of Germany’s most innovative cities, led by Prof. Dr. Anke Reich, LL.M. The varied program combined industrial and scientific history with current issues surrounding intellectual property, artificial intelligence, and culture.
A highlight of the first day was a visit to the birthplace of the SCHOTT Group. The students gained fascinating insights into the company’s history—from its founding through the destruction of World War II and the division between East and West to reunification. The day was rounded off with a visit to the Jena Christmas market, featuring traditional tower bell ringing, as well as the “Best of Show 2025” at the world’s oldest operating planetarium, which delighted attendees with a varied and captivating show.
The second day began with a guided city tour tracing the footsteps of significant figures in Jena’s history of glass and optics, including Carl Zeiss, Ernst Abbe, and Otto Schott, as well as the poets Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller. This was followed by a visit to the German Patent and Trademark Office. There, the students gained valuable insights into intellectual property protection, current developments, and the implications of the increasing use of AI. A tour of the departments also highlighted the transition from paper-based to digital record-keeping.
The excursion concluded with a guided tour of Schiller’s garden house and garden, which provided an impressive firsthand experience of Jena’s cultural richness.
The excursion not only offered participants a deeper understanding of their field but also an interdisciplinary perspective on the connection between history, progress, law, and culture. The students expressed their heartfelt thanks to Prof. Dr. Anke Reich, LL.M., for her dedicated organization and the fascinating insights. “It was definitely worth it. My fellow students and I really enjoyed the excursion and had a lot of fun,” said participant Diana enthusiastically, speaking on behalf of the others as well.
