Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, a sports optics manufacturer based in Oberkochen, Germany, celebrated the 200th birthday of its founding father.
Carl Zeiss was born in the town of Weimar in 1816. September 11, 2016 marked his 200th birthday. The mechanic opened a small workshop for precision mechanics and optics in Jena in 1846, laying the foundation for Zeiss. “Without these achievements and the intellectual legacy of its founding father, Zeiss would not be as successful as it is today,” said Dr. Michael Kaschke, president and CEO of Carl Zeiss AG.
The company will celebrate the 200th birthday of its founder with activities and events. A biography of Carl Zeiss was published in May, and starting in September an exhibition on the visionary entrepreneur will introduce visitors to his life and work. The highlight of the celebrations was Carl Zeiss Day in the city of Jena on September 11.
The company is also sponsoring the establishment of a German Optical Museum in Jena, with the support of partners from industry, science and the city of Jena. The initiators are: the Ernst Abbe Foundation, the Carl Zeiss Foundation, the city of Jena, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena and Zeiss.
“In the same year of Carl Zeiss’ 200th birthday, it’s important to us to begin this significant initiative and important undertaking. I am sure that this museum is not only an appropriate, but also a forward-looking way to honor our company founder, here in the city where he started his company,” said Kaschke.
Zeiss is a technology enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics industries. The Zeiss Group develops and distributes semiconductor manufacturing equipment, measuring technology, microscopes, medical technology, eyeglass lenses, camera and cine lenses, binoculars and planetarium technology. The company is divided into four segments: semiconductor manufacturing technology, research & quality technology and medical. It is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation).
