ORGANIZATION AND PRODUCTION OF THE CARL ZEISS PLANT AT JENA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81-01030R000100140003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 16, 2013
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: August 31, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 783 and 784, of the U.S. Code. as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is Prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form Is prohibited.
COUNTRY East Germany
SUBJECT
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
Oidaniiation and Pliodadtion of the
Carl Zeiss Plant at Jena
if
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
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31 August 1953
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REQUIREMENT
REFERENCES
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THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS. IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE,
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
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?STATE
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ARMY
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NAVY
AIR
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FBI
AEC
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SFCUU I
Etst Sermwr
SUBJECT i Organization and Production of the
. Carl Zeiss Plant
PLACE
ACCUREDI
. DATE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF IN
. THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
REPOk
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NO. OF PAGES, t7
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jusTord"or ZEISS 114AFT
lia40iii% Wes Soviet Supervision
ltA
oi
.4n9450 the entire ZEISS plant was placed under the complete...con roi .of
a Soviet plant administiatien. The various technical and production
:workshops were supervised by Soviet technical commissions consisting of
olilitary and civilian specialists, who during their nuwerouoiduevetttod46-
familiarised themselves with the mechanical equipment and production - ?
omethods of the plant. .During thie period these technicanomolletrtads
and requisitioned complete site of blueprints, drawings, and sample models
of most of the available instruments and equipment then in production.
r. BELATEV, a Soviet civilian engineer, assisted by a'staff ofcSoviet
.:teohnioians, was especially active in the photogrammetrio department.
1/4.: Ii the following months, many representatives of Soviet purchasing
agencies, governmental offices and scientific institutes were ordering
and purchasing a great many important.instruments, notably, large
assortments of measuring and surveying devices. Also, in connection
with these activities, the Soviet plant administration ordered. the
Seumptionf the development and production of instruments such as
leraltiplex, universal reducing instruments. and stabilizers for photo and
441411 cameras. Due to the multitude of placed orders, the serial pi-auc-
tion of most types of equipment increased considerably.by the end of
49431 '''?
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3. In the early part 1 1946)the Soviet lant commission was dissolved and
reganed by 4 Soviet Army. officer as chief administiator,-,This-wes a
'certain General BOBIKIPLUI,' who presumably was an 'expert on plant-die-
mantling,;/...Mis title was ,Director of the Zeiss and Bohott4M?entsin
itt. who also
aoted:ei-..technical direct Or of ihe Zeiss plant. These two.iMen-Axeraiset..
**41Ste control ofboth plants.. The German administration, - headed by:. '
br;:gcnits, had Only Minor advisory and exeOutory.fnietiona4HIniiing
this period. many of the destroyed wOrkehope'and shed hille'had been
'reconstructed and re-equipped.
? ?
Scykete DisiaantleylEutt ? .7
194.6 -
On the morning of 22.0otober,,deportation of.personnel and dismeatli418
."
of the Aant began'and continued Miring the wait few days in
orgenited.and planned operation.. ApproxiMateli 300:Of,t1w.,01110k14441,440c
yen deported, including many of the most 040lii.MentiOhei145440
Asetrie'fieldt.: During the' following mcinthea,p0rOXiMateiy.931Per;e0W0T?
the plant equipment, inCluding,iachinest-effiee sUpli446:4h4,i9i4m4*;
'Menke and rat materials,4boilers, elevators. iwitobboards;..ete4:110re
meticulously packed and shipped off to Soviet Union. The'dieMinti
*CtiOnwas completed approximately in Pebruary:L'Itarch Of.
, . ? . . . . "
5.
lipen.opmpletima, off the dismantling action. the Soviet e4M4nistraMioni.
technicians, and dismantling experts abandoned the nlant'anetiiied it. ,
over to the Mamas. SoweVer. the ContailprOgram still oentinalkte: 1'4
tima-Under:SoViet.sipervision. The dismantling Of this .044 moonieseMs,?
504ehed during 1947. i large number Of.plant,P0acnnel401.0*ACW.),,..
turinethiep. Year, and the remaining personnel began Weloelt,T4FeStebIrs....,
441, 0.4ni:*itb:whitever means available. jlatep,.thelplant:MWOOSexer: 7'
Anincial'4441atinie in'44.-Trral.of governmental and Othe14:04(104,61101,
' 'titans Of rbileroial value ioke manufactured,during 'taiMperieL'
itsummtion of Production
? ? .
,
6: 'With the resumption of productionithe plant rehired old personnel.:. Iteas"-
produced wax's designed exclusively for civilian ness optical: gpieles -
4jeaticle?ephoto-opticemedical q.Ad precision instruments, _092. ZUtitg
tis.periodithe Organisational structure of the plant was:changet,froa
alfoundatiop form Management to a nationalizedilneustryjlant,44404-_
stquently:maa 10)orporated.Anto the Union of Nationalisedinduitpietr
7,17,3 Nitid. At the same time, Director SCHELDE, 14 additi...ontb:being::,,..?
ths.heat.of:the Zeiss worka,.aloo became'theohief admilietratiOrjAaMpt-
'A tiirokt40.4t.this 714 0ptiO.0 Ths-manufacturdgeorpbotegramMetr10
'11ettimonti:had. wit yet been resumed, and geodetic inetrumente?Wera
. .
Amodugial4 limited quantities. . ? ?
7, Ii:190a14[Iplciat was transferred from the Union of Ilationalized Industries
to the.M4nietrY:for:Meahinet Building Industry (Ministerium fuer Maschinen;-
12.4u). Tie'number of personnel'ard production capacity reached pre-war
(0,f1,0?0.1sALAioet of,,the former production branches, except those devoted
, .
? 'only to. military PUrposes, were re-established.
01,:AftwitemicProduced included 'the following; portable movie projectors (sound)
? iTonk1m4koffer/vdoonmenat1on camera stand's for microfilm, documentation) tt,
j'AP.Ilereereen'photo cameras ? electroninmicroicopes. The,production-
Atts444.1, training instrument 4,10 which' had been .developed
Soviet order is part of ropereti'on'-paymen* was initiated-...The-volnme
Or'prodtption'is'unknownito Ma. Experimentation and development work
. .
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in the field of Pbotogrammetry was sleo revived. This was suggested
by the Braun (Soft) Coal 40.c Industry, which became interested in
the development of terrestrial instruments. Work also began on the
development of mirroreteieosoopeP. The first Oelleotive dontraoi
systen ,was. introduced over arguments and objections of the entire
1440 Pir001146/0
.9. .The attablishmeut in 1952. of new branches in Weiner, Seetachl: and
Dresden brought the plentle total number of personnel:tonere than...
15,000. In Jena, the stili vacant aid :ruined building, and workshops
.
of the main plant area (Rauptwerk),,and of the 'south :plait area(Suedwerk),
.were rebuilt and re7eatab/ished. The influence of the ;dee plant,
jrioognited as the nein optical and precision center of the DDE, ever
L.'otior plants of related indUstries (Freiberg, Dresden) indreaildicon-
??
siderahlY. :Newsier, though production plane had been fultille4..diftit!
Curtis-a in financial Planning continued to:iipede:the'flow Of operations.
Hfletura of ?pecialiste frem theN USSR
10.: In January and June of 1252 , approximately 90 per (mut of, the deterted:
specialists returned to the plant. Some of these,,knownter:their
outright Pre4ommunistinleaningn(SRAWIW,fir. C0BOICSE ROSSIDAWZ,
BLUM etc.) were appointed to varions top pasitioneleittin'lhe Plait
administration, Stith apparently was achieved through influiteiLot ?
'Soviet Ake'se on partyi tradetunienland'severnMental.Orgins., ,/n the
PhOtogralmstric field,. the return of 'experienced epoeialists replied"'
itinoreased activities in the research and detelOpMent eselOta. The
iiflumnf'rettiting designers necessitated the establishment of a new
designers office for Photegrammetric instruments. The prOdnotiOinf.
experimental, models began. : Also, 'the Planning for development of aarfr
photogrammetrio instrUmente for 1953-began during this Period.: : ' ?
SODSICIT10R OP. MILITART ;TEO -
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1.1.) Zn the wake of rearming the militarised units in the DDWA.thepo7oalled
.04urean for Economic Affairs" (Btter* fierWkrisotattifragen), as Well t?i
is the "lit WidiegriPhie Service's (SeehydregraPhischer:Dienst),nonmenoed
placing orders for a variety of instruments. During the ratter plink'
.1952,iumers began circulating to the effeert that due,to kinandial diffi-
culties, the East Zone gevernment was Planning td brak ilithe:Oombiled
Zeiss plant into smaller independent WW2.
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12. In the meantime thatightar plane training inetruMent,, the,A7l4 has been
modified or improved: in the A-2 (?) 'version and produced in a.new series
of approximately 30 unite: In addition, the manufacturing of aiiing -
Oiroles.ind 'similar auxiliary instruments for the use At the dink, and,
thndevelopientyt.long foetal camerae, 14--2 metere, for the navy;
' amenably teen during the Panzer Of 1952. Am for aerial equipment.
during the summer and fall of 1952, inquiries were made
concerning delivery possibilities of aero-oameras4 rectifiers, And
. niltiPlex sets, '.Concreks 4egotiationi Or plaoeient of orders had-net
ooMmincied at the time of Ay-departure in Decanter 1952. The prospect
....of manufacturing military instruments at. the :Plant was met by the major-
- ityif_Zoise personnel withAliespproval.,.
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REORGANIZATION OF MANAGEMENT
13.. The management of the plant was basically changed with the nationalise-
?tlen arid revocation of most ef the provisions of the.Foundation Statute:
/For historioAata, see pcapmEm, Friedrich, Geschiehtedes Jenaer
.ZeiesWerksj-.1846/1946, Edition IISCATOR, Stuttgarti-1952d- One direc-
tor, Dr. 'MEADE (Chief AdministratOr),_replaced the three or four managing
? directors, who formerly constituted the top aditinistrative body. Depart-
tents directly responsible to the chief administrator were designated
!Main Managements". (Hauptleitungen) and each.was headed by a Chief
Manager. Organizational sub-divisions on lower levels retained their
former sectional designations See Enolosure
14. A.notewOrthy difference between the.former and Present organizational
structures was the creation of a Main Scientific Management. (Dr.. pollan,
" .Chief Scientist), which was broken down fUrther into four depertmenie
comprising Various laboratories and technical offices. .Many of these
Were formerly: run as independent Scientifio:deparinentei. This reOrgani-:
eation separated. the ecientisits from tiescOnneating.them.with the
production and distribution departmental:Of their reflective fields. In
addition to? the technical end btu:tinges departments, trade-union and
party organizations (BED and FDJ groups "and the SocietiforIurthering
.German-Soviet Prieniehip, etc.) have been formed since 1950. The offices
of thele organizations were partially staffed withUermanently:assigned
office functionaries.
1 Various Technical Commissions funotioned as advisory organs of the
? Ministry and united the specialists of the various WEB installations.
Commission III, Optics, wad composed of many sub-commissions, one of
which embraced the field of surveying and plotogrammetry. This sub-
commission was largely under the influence of Zeiss specialists formerly
? headed by Dr. WOEENE, one'of the recently arrested administrators. This
commission was comprised of soientiets, production experts, and businessmen.
PIEWICULTIES ZECOUNTERED IN "PRODUCTION-
. _
10: The:successful restoration of the plant in 047/1948 and the fast recovery
of production Standards exterieiced during:suOceeding years: can undoubtedly
'be attributed to oid time faithful personnel, who, contrary to that of
ether dismantled plants, as for instance, ZeissJkons, Dresden, remained
the backbone Of the plant in Jena.. The scrapping of the basic clauses
of the Zeiss Poundation and the introduction of the collective contract
system dealt's severe blow to the established standards of management
and brought. many disadvantages to the persenneli
17. With the gradual increase of production, *difficulties of all sorts began
to be felt. This *ass experienced especially in the acquisition of better
quality materials, ie., optical glass, special alloys, as well as elec-
trical items and other aces...pries. The redesigningof instruments and
recalculation of lenses necessitated by the use of inferior materials
resulted in the loweriAgef production standards and Considerable delays
in delivery sehedules. The development of new instruments wap impeded
. , further by the loge of may scientists and designers Who were deported
?. to the Soviet Union in 1946A The new developed bureaucratic planning
? system was another factor. oontributing to the retarded progress of the
plant. Production planningras well as the conduct of normal business
wat greatly hindered by,the lack of proper business untact with 'client
firms, particularly foreign, and the knowledge of market conditions.
This was due to controls exeroised by governmental commerce agencies,
snob as DO. and DIA.
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ponneetion with' the financial difficulties experienced in 1952, it
a. . became widely kaolin that during the last few years of operations
IroductiOn costs had increased considerably. .Even those production
braMohes such as binocular., etc., which formerly were very profitable,
yere now showing defioits. Qonssquently the plant oould exist only
with 4onaiderable 'governmental subsidies, or facie the lopl of, export
markets.
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. 194 Details and figures on the aggregate production, internal and export
trade turn-over, reparation deliveries, eto., oinnot be estimated by
'me. However, frequent shipments to China were observed during 1952.'
Th. .scope of Present day shitments as compared with those of pre-war
Aims appear to be comparatively small. The'quality.standar4 too,
'have not yet reaohed'forMerlevels. Prinoipal items prodUced, until
1952 were most ;7 redesigned or Partly revised instrumente'of 3/41%01940-
.,
1945 typic. ot .
4prvellne Instrument Pr94uotion
1.
' 20. The sale of small.levelsH(oonstruotion), which were the first geodetic ..
instruments to he put' in 'oduo3tion after dipmentling, was halted during
:1952'for a reason unknown The I:h
' ,' ?
use 'of inferior glass retardede 50X1-HUM.
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'producition of the thendal r cc o g and. reducing taoholeters ABAHLTA" and
.-i,'NEDTA" to such an extent, that * lore/cruder from Hungary had to hi
'oenoelled. A newly .designed precision theodolite,' first order..and'a '
preoision leveling instrument'were in the *Seer of model cOnetruction-,
:
and testing; ,A stadia-rod, two meter', for polygon measitringand
a level 'staff, for precision leveling. could not be tut An Production
due: to lack of Inver steel. Research and development leik on leviling . ?
, instruments with automatip-horiiontation and on theodolites with photo-'
' : graphic' recording devioarwas in :Drones.. ?
Photogrammetri9 Instrument Production
. ,
21.. The model PrOanOtion of a photo theodolite (Phote0.19/13 x 18, redeeign.
at thaTAN) and amirror-stereoscope (similar to the former type) was '
near opMpletion and should have been ready tor serial prOuction in
-1953. A new model of a stereo-oomiaratorilS x 18, was in.process of '
; experimental produotion and the development of a stereo-authograph, (sic),
.13 x 18 (variant of the' former instrument), had started. The development
9f,a reatifier, begun in 1952:, as 'well as e'en aerial,' zapping camera,
18-x 18. .with a etabilizer,' Should be cempleted in 1953.
. , .
22. Other instruments under consideration for prodnotion weres, email theodolite,
(similar' to, TA4); stereo-metric clamors; small authograph; and a plotting .
jpy:.instrument for aerial photographs second order. .The Utilization of oleo-
-trio power and transmission elements for stereo-platting instruments
r: were aleo'coneidered. ? '
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'OURIDELIS___JaagaRERICTINSS
. . . . . . .
'23. In the summer of 1952 approximately, a number of stringent Security
? - -.regulations were introduced 'at the plant. Seorecy of operations and
installation were stressed. Amspecial section for safeguarding classifie4
? matteri wail established within the Organization, and Operational Depart-
gent (Main Business Management). New plant passes were to be introduced
in the beginning of 1953.. It was said that these would be uniform for
all VEBus. -
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24 Egto;k1 to aidoutrinate. plant personnel with political tropaganda. aad
."introduce .progreiive working *iithpda; Were met 'either with disinterest
or With an 'air of passive resistance by the overwhelming majority. ?
. Tklea- aintaci)ite were ealool:411/ .apparent *during' the discussion of the
first collective contract '1451 the eolioiting for the reconstruction
Stipieti Bailin; as well as recruitment efforts for the MilOarimed units
-
:thi:.toikepOligei., In this Oonneo4on'; it was wide1ycwn that i the
plant's itanding las not high 'itt higher t'ar* and governmental.? ,
?Oirelet .The reahaffliiit of ?Lpaiiii5iineI,COrdered by the itinditry it the
summer of 1952 on 'instructions from the St) Oentria ? COMMittio;.1.iWer. ,the
objections of ? the 'Plant adiiiiiietrindui TrePrelentad -r:Sainied'efforie to
actuate noel consciousness Within the 'plait:.
.25.. .The latest 'arrest by the SSD of a number ..of old; experienced:41S . ? .
administrators and ?Opedialiete.; ' as recently reported in the:pretii Si
apparsS4ty the firoS effective measure resulting trout, the ' inflitenoi: ? '
smelled' by'tlie iinni4:.Aintatiiii*seie;Thelidid by ,ihe..? Shifitif.
Persofln.l, Hans 204421c: . There can be. no dOU?; that the ciaileetiiielisi
7of. thisscton will result in a serious dieruHitO.On'LlOf the 'Seise ? aitlid,s;;'
? , ?
d041.10 4. ?
tra.0:64 end considerably off.00 itt prodnflion capacity. .
.1hteioeUre. (A) rgaijaatiOne; Short of. COt ZiiaPi?ena
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Ilsu SCISNTIPIC
DARAG3X94T
Dr P. floerlich
Pour Scientific
departments s
Photo
Mullen
Micro
TelescoPico
Veriouo labs nod
Scienstrie
offices
JORGAN1ZATIONAL CHART -CARLIEASS WORKSI-JENA
ZAlI DEVBSOPICEST
IIANAGESENT
Dial lag Blocher:
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Various developing
off Loan ? -
Patent action.
Section for
Stenderds(n?
Encios;Are (it;
NAJD OCETHOL
MANAGEICSIT
Dip' lag goitres
Central testing-
Lets and various
control point. at
production *ark
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departments ?
Optical
Prepenstory
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Kascam
Dr Poets=
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Beekkespissi
distritotion
artiness
Personnel atilt-
Mina DK*
stations1 ass
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Organisatlened end
entranced.?
Prodnetion
Plant Security
Operatics]. D89%.
Menne
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Photographic
Telescopic
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in Norkshina