The symphony was discovered by Fritz Stein in 1909 in the archives of a concert society in Jena, from which it derived its name.
Stein believed it to be the work of Beethoven and it was so published by Breitkopf und Härtel in 1911.
Stein thought it was quite likely an early work by Beethoven and pointed out some stylistic similarities in the preface to the score.
Ralph Leavis, for example, condemned the work as "a piece of plagiarism, put together almost with scissors and paste from reminiscences of Haydn."
[3] In four movements, the symphony is scored for flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in C, 2 trumpets in C, timpani and strings.