Visit the Optical Museums

The Optical Museum in Jena

The optical museum, which is a natural-sciences technical museum, was established in the year 1922 by the urging of Prof. Otto Henker and Dr. Otto Schotts, the heads of the department of medical-optical instruments at the Carl Zeiss plant. A large part of the museum has been on permanent display since 1965. It was expanded around the historic Zeiss workshop to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Carl Zeiss' death

A Good Insight

The museum's workshop documents the technical aspects of microscope production in moving from a hand-made production method onto the faster, more efficient industrialization period in the middle of the last century. The museum provides a good insight into the working and living conditions for the foremen, the artisans, and the trainees. The workshop-affiliated is a sales room, in which Zeiss offered not only his own products for sale, but also the products of other manufacturers for purchase.

The Optical Museum in Oberkochen

The museum displays an extremely diverse collection of optical devices that spans a time period of over 700 years The focus of the collection:

• A rich collection of different types of eyeglasses and optical visual aids.

• The progression of the telescope and the binoculars since the 17th century.

• Instruments used for measuring the earth

• Highlights of the history of high-end photography equipment.

• The progression of the microscope from the period of "the Enlightenment" until today and for its use in routine tasks and research work.

Human ingenuity and creativity

Be amazed by intriguing early Asian eye-glasses. Take a look through cutting-edge binoculars, photo lenses, and microscopes that make up optics and precision-mechanics. Experience pictures of the "new face of the world," which was revealed for the first time by photographs taken from outer space. Learn how Napoleon was able to observe his battles and what kind of eye-glasses Mörike wore as he wrote poetry.