1861 - 2009

148 years of Fox Tower Society is a long period of continuous love to the Hausberg, the mountain of the Fox Tower. At that time nature lovers developed the mountain with trails and enabled a drinking counter there. A lot of members’ compulsory labour extended the path network step-by-step, and the restaurant could start. Nowadays the Fox Tower Society – a widely well-known Thuringian mountain society – is organising several events: on one side companionability, local history, wanderlust, cultivation of traditions, but also promotion of nature conservation, preservation of historical monuments, and environmental protection.

By voluntary and non-commercial labour, called corvee, we adhere the path network and the resting places around the Hausberg for the citizens of Jena and the visitors from near and far. Happy parties are held with beer and fried sausages, e. g. at the biannual Fraternity Capitular society members are honoured, noblewomen choosen, knaves appointed and knighthoods given. Traditional dates of the society life are children’s party, St Nicholas day, pensioners meeting, ladies night, gents night, dancing parties, singers’ matinee with several choirs.  The Fox Tower Society is also the ancestral seat of the Association of Thuringian Mountain, Castle and Forest Societies . For two weeks in every year we can welcome the youngsters of the Federation of International Volunteers (so far from Poland, Russia, Czech Republic, France, UK, Belgium, Japan, Sweden, Spain, Hungary, and Italy). Together with them we are working in the Hausberg lea.

Our concern is to impart the harmony of Jena as a big city and scientific and industrial centre with the surrounding nature and to popularize the historical link between our town and the nobles of Kirchberg.

 “Troth to the Fox Tower should be our slogan”