The Tower can be visited
CastleJena
Fuchsturm
The Fuchsturm (also Latin Vulpecula Turris) is one of the Seven Wonders of Jena and is a 30 m high old keep on the Hausberg, which belonged to Kirchberg Castle (not to the Imperial Palace of Kirchberg, which was located to the west of it).
The castle fell in 1304 with the noble family of the Counts of Kirchberg during an attack by the city alliance of Erfurt, Nordhausen, Mühlhausen and Landgrave Albrecht. The castle is the historic ancestral seat of the still flourishing knightly family von Jena, first mentioned in a document in 1145, whose ancestors served as ministerials in the service of the Counts of Kirchberg and whose family coat of arms depicts a standing fox with a bunch of grapes in its mouth. The castle complex was largely destroyed; only the keep remained standing at that time.
Due to a fundamental repair in the 16th century, the substance of the tower could be saved. In 1784, a footpath to the tower, a staircase, and a roof were created to enable Johann Ernst Basilius Wiedeburg to make astronomical observations from the tower. The tower soon became a popular hiking destination. Since the early 19th century, the right to serve drinks in the tower room has been attested. In 1842, a miners' guild was founded, and in 1861, the Fuchsturmgesellschaft (Fox Tower Society), which maintained the tower. In 1868, the Fuchsturmhaus was built next to the tower, which, expanded several times, still houses a restaurant today.
Legends+
There are several legends about the Fuchsturm. One of them says that a giant hit his mother. Thereupon, a mountain collapsed over him, burying him. The giant was only able to stick his index finger out of his grave as a warning. The Fuchsturm is therefore the giant's index finger, which is why it was formerly also called "Giant's Finger".
Legends also surround the origin of its current name. One suggests that a master thief was hung in a cage at the Fuchsturm, others derive the name from young students, who are also called "Füchse" (foxes). Still others believe the name comes from the foxes that were native to the area. The name may also be derived from the time when the tower was first renovated. In the 17th century, a gold coin was popularly called a "Fuchs" (as in Grimmelshausen's Simplicius Simplicissimus in 1669), several of which were probably invested in the renovation. Where the name truly comes from is no longer known today.
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