FC Carl Zeiss Jena is a German football club based in Jena, Thuringia. The club was founded in 1903 as the football department of Turnverein Jena and has a long history in the German football league system. They currently compete in the Regionalliga Nordost, which is the fourth tier of the German football league system.
Over the years, FC Carl Zeiss Jena has had some success in the lower divisions of German football, winning the DDR-Oberliga (the top division in East Germany) three times and the DDR-Liga (the second division in East Germany) once. The club has also had some success in the DFB-Pokal (the German Cup), reaching the quarter-finals on two occasions.
In recent years, FC Carl Zeiss Jena has struggled financially and has had to rely on the support of its fans to remain competitive. Despite these challenges, the club has a strong following in Jena and the surrounding region, and it continues to be a popular and important part of the local community.