Seven Wonders of Jena

This list of curiosities was secret and meant to be taken as evidence of a person's actual presence in Jena.

A contemporary author writing in Latin verse lists the seven wonders as: "Ara, caput, draco, mons, pons, vulpecula turris, Weigeliana domus, septem miracula Jenae."

[2] Schnapphans is a figure of a head on the tower of town hall, which "snaps" on the hour after a golden ball on a bar that a pilgrim keeps standing on a pedestal to the left of the clock.

The original Schnapphans can be seen today in the Stadtmuseum; the town hall clock now features a copy.

[3] A sculpture of a dragon (German Drache, Latin Draco) with seven heads, four legs, two arms and four tails was likely made for fun by students in Jena during the early 17th century.

The newly rebuilt bridge was blown up by German soldiers in 1945, an act which was pointless as the Americans had already crossed the Saale in another place.

[2] The final wonder of Jena was the Weigel House (German Weigelsche Haus, Latin Weigeliana Domus), demolished in 1898 in order to widen a road.

The house stood beside the city church and owed its fame to its owner, the mathematics professor Erhard Weigel, in the 17th century.