Carl Zeiss Archives

Our Service

Answer inquiries on instruments, persons and events,  Reproductions of photographs covering the history of Carl Zeiss, copies of advertising materials, instruction manuals and other product literature, historic instruments can be loaned to museums and exhibitions. You can conduct your own research projects and search through publications contained in the archives

The archives are open monday - friday between 9 am and 3 pm. Special arrangements can be made for access outside normal opening hours.

Please make an appointment with us before your first visit:

Phone: +49-3641-64-2759
Fax: +49-3641-64-3307

Email: wim mer @zeiss .de

The archives are located on the Carl Zeiss premises in Jena.

Carl-Zeiss-Promenade 10
07745 Jena

Customer inquiry
How to get to Carl Zeiss in Jena

Photo Archives

Over 120,000 photographs have been recorded in the past few years, of which more than 100,000 have been scanned. These images document the history of Carl Zeiss in Jena.

The oldest photos date back to the 1860s. The main subjects covered include people, buildings, instruments and events.

Due to the enormous quantities of data, it is not possible for us to provide the photos on the Web. However, you can use the preview images to select what you want and then order it from us by email.

Please quote the code shown above each photo.

Permission to reproduce the photos costs EUR 5.- per photo.
 
Research in the photo archives (in German only)

Online Literature Research

The literature database contains more than 75,000 different texts. These are all documents from the firm Carl Zeiss and its subsidiaries. They include not only catalogues, brochures and instruction manuals, but also price lists and circulars for dealers. Reprints of scientific essays in which instruments from Carl Zeiss are discussed can also be found.

The collection of literature from the period before 1945 is relatively complete. There are gaps in particular in brochures for military instruments, the result of the confiscations made by the allied forces after World War II.

The database contains the documents of VEB Carl Zeiss Jena and the combine for the period after 1945. There are once again gaps here in the field of military instruments and for instruments that were not finally produced in Jena, in particularly eyeglasses (Rathenow), binoculars (Eisfeld) and camera lenses (Saalfeld).

For Carl Zeiss, Oberkochen, the literature of the Microscopy Division and of the former Geodetic Instruments Division, which has since been acquired by the firm Trimble Jena GmbH, are contained in the database.

For cost reasons, these literature can currently only be researched, but not downloaded. However, you can order copies. A hard copy or digital scan with 150 dpi (without photos) or 200 dpi (with photos) costs EUR 0,60 per page, with a EUR 3 charge and a minimum order total of EUR 15.
 
Research in the literature database (in German only)

File Directory

In the past few years, with the assistance of a project promoted by the Volkswagen Foundation, almost 20,000 files of VEB Carl Zeiss Jena and the combine VEB Carl Zeiss Jena extending over a distance of 200 meters have been recorded.

This was the basis on which an online index has been created. This is a means of preparing a visit to the archives. It cannot actually replace a visit to the archives, as the file contents themselves cannot be made available on the internet.

To order files in the archives, you need the code given for each file.
For reasons connected with data privacy, access to the Person Index is restricted.

Work is currently under way to compile an index for older, pre-1945 Carl Zeiss files.

Research in the file directory (in German only)

Virtual Museum

Here you will find all instruments produced by Carl Zeiss before 1945. The instruments are described using original texts from old brochures.

Here you will find all instruments produced by Carl Zeiss before 1945. The instruments are described using original texts from old brochures.

It is often difficult to provide exact dates for the period during which individual products were manufactured. As we wish to be as accurate as possible in the information we provide, we have omitted the dates in these cases.

A record is currently being made of the instruments created in Jena, Oberkochen and other locations since 1945.

Carl Zeiss Virtual Museum (in German only)

Instrument collections & Museums

A collection of approximately 1500 Carl Zeiss instruments is on display in Jena. These products can be loaned to museums and organizers of exhibitions and congresses for company presentations.

Our goal is to acquire instruments that document the product history and scientific development of Carl Zeiss Jena.

This is the main difference between our collection and the Optical Museums in Jena und Oberkochen:

The  Optical Museum in Jena centers around a collection from the Carl Zeiss research departments in Jena. No direct organizational connection now exists. The Optical Museum documents the history of optics with a special, but by no means exclusive, focus on Carl Zeiss.

The Zeiss-owned  Optical Museum in Oberkochen collects instruments from the Carl Zeiss Group produced before German reunification and also includes the most recent products.

Optical Museums

Projects of the Archive

Virtual Museum
The biographies of the 100 most important Carl Zeiss employees up to 1945 are currently being compiled. They will be inserted with a photo in the virtual museum. There will be links to the instruments invented by these people.

The patent database for the period before 1945 will also be included in the museum. The patents will be linked to the inventors and products.

The products of VEB Carl Zeiss Jena and the Carl Zeiss Group following 1945 will be recorded. Due to the diversity of firms and business divisions, this will take some time to complete.

Parts of the Virtual Museum will be translated into English. Due to the amount of data concerned, however, this will also require a considerable amount of time to accomplish.

 
File directory
Files from the period before 1945 are currently being recorded. Initially, they will be provided in a simple form on the internet (only classification, title, contents, and period of validity). Keywords will be gradually added.

If you are interested in taking part in one of the projects on a voluntary basis, please send an email to: wim mer @zeiss .de.