This photography video from DW Documentary explores the rise of Zeiss, a German manufacturer of optical systems and optoelectronics, founded in 1846 by optician Carl Zeiss.
175 Years of Zeiss: The Rise of a Global Company
One hundred seventy-five years ago, a young mechanic named Carl Zeiss opened a modest workshop for precision mechanics and optics in the German city of Jena. From these humble origins grew Zeiss, a global technology company renowned for its commitment to scientific research and innovation—with a strong awareness of science’s broader impact on society.
A major breakthrough came with the development of optical glass with revolutionary properties, setting the stage for Zeiss’s lasting influence on the fields of microscopy and imaging. Zeiss microscopes have been used by more than 30 Nobel Prize laureates and continue to deliver exceptional image resolution—capable of revealing structures up to a thousand times smaller than a human hair. Their light microscopes allow researchers to study living cells with remarkable speed and care.
Zeiss also played a pivotal role in the 1969 moon landing, capturing iconic images with specially developed lenses designed for space. This pioneering work laid the foundation for advancements in photolithography, which became essential to microchip production. Zeiss’s achievements in extreme ultraviolet lithography eventually earned the company the prestigious German Future Prize, alongside the Fraunhofer Institute and the Trumpf company.
