For decades Zeiss Ikon AG was the largest and most influential trust in the German optical industry.
Zeiss Ikon AG was formed in 1926. It was the result of a fusion of four major German manufacturers of optical products: Contessa-Nettel AG of Stuttgart, Ernemann AG of Dresden, Optische Anstalt C. P. Goerz of Berlin, and Ica AG of Dresden.
Dresden (1935) |
Stuttgart (ca. 1960) |
The "Ikon" in the name is a combination of "Ica" and "Contessa-Nettel", and is also almost identical with "eikon", the Greek word for image. The main force behind this fusion was Carl Zeiss, hence the name component "Zeiss", at that time probably the biggest lens manufacturer in the world. Carl Zeiss wanted to create a huge, healthy and powerful manufacturing concern to utilize its lenses. And with the help of Carl Zeiss, Zeiss Ikon created a wealth of highly successful optical products of all kinds. Most famous became Zeiss Ikon cameras, due to their innovative design, excellent build quality, and superb lenses. Within less than 15 years of its formation, Zeiss Ikon AG was the dominant force in high quality cameras throughout the world. Their 35 mm rangefinder cameras were the finest in the world.
Due to economic reasons, the Zeiss Ikon AG had to close their doors in the early 1970s. Today, Zeiss Ikon is back with passion!
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