RESEARCH AT THE CARL ZEISS FIRM IN JENA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00415R008200080004-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 6, 2001
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 21, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION SI:C71.7.T./C0117201, - U.S. (x-2I0Ii41,3 OHM
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SUBJECT
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PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF
INFO.
P. 43 search
in Jo
Carl ,felss
V7.- UP&
rt*
REPORT NO.
CD NO.
DAlt DISTR.
OPtGES
NO. tW Eis4Ct.S.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
25X1A
21 L....ay 1951
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1. The vr,B Carl, Zeiss, Jena, is a member of the VVB(Z) (Vereinigung Volkseigener
Detriebe (Zonal)) Optik. The Zeiss-Ikon firm in Dresden, which was formerly
affiliated rrith the MTH Mechanik, has been a member of the VV13 Optik since
1 January 1951. Dr. Hugo Ochrade, head of the 7V13 Optik, 1? also director
of Zeiss, Jena. his assistants are Victor Sandmann, Commercial Director,
and Otte Schiock, Cultural Director.
2. The plant is divided into three departments:
a. Production (Fertigung) ? headed by Director Schrade.
b. Construction ? headed by Dipl. Ing. Bischoff.
e. Science ? headed by Geheimrat Hans itarting.
The Science Department carries out research in some twenty offices which are
divided into three main categories: laboratories, testing offices (Prefstellen),
and comPuting offices (Pechnerbtiros).
Seem of Research at Zeiss Jena:
. Research at Zeiss, Jena, consists primarily in developing and improving Zeiss
optical products. Postwar interests, however, have extended into what, for
Zeiss, are new directions. Having fairly successfully recovered from the
effects of the dismantling carried out by the Thassians during the immediate
postwar period, the factory had, as of December 1950, resumed production and
employed a staff of about 12,000. lacroecopes, eyeglasses, camera lenses,
field glasses, etc., are again being mass-produced. Special equipment, such
as epidiascopes, refractometers, mirror telescopes, mirror microscopes and
photometers, is being manufactured in snail quantities. Some research is
being done in the fields of striae devicei, photocells, ultrasonics, infrared
devices and synthetic crystals.
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Soviet and DDR Influence on Activities at Zeiss Jena
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4, The Russians reportedly no longer exert a direct influence on research at
Zeiss but act through the DDR as intermediary. And since all research and
production plans must be reported to the DDR Planning Ministry, it may be
concluded that all important results of research are made available to the
Russians by the DDR. Since the DDR lacks the necessary experts to direct
research successfully in a large enterprise, a state of confusion often results
.from directives and counter-directives. In December, however, changes were
being considered in the relations between the Science Department at Zeiss
and the DDR: which would al.ve the Government more efficient control over research
at the plant.
During the period when the Russians had direct control of the Zeiss plant,
i.e., prior to the establishment of the DDR, they were eagerly intereeted
in every phase of research, oven routine research necessary for mass production.
They were particularly interested in the striae devices and portable sound
film sets (Tonfilmkoffer), and in the production of large quantities of
epidiascopes. Consequently, they were the initiators of research along those
lines at Zeiss. From the summer of 1949 to the end of 1950, the plant produced
and delivered to the Russians about 2,500 epidiascopes. Former production
had been twenty per year, pound Man sots were delivered to the Ruesians
by the thousands.
Head of the Scientific and Research De arteent at Zeiss
6. Geheimrat Hans Harting, head of the Science Department at Zeiss, Jena, is also
chief of research. Be is (33 years old. He began work at Zeiss in his youth,
under the founder of the plant, Abbe. Harting then went to Vogtlander in
Braunschweig, and later to the German Reichspatentamt. Under Hitler, he was
returned to the Zeiss plant as head of scientific research and, after some
years of service, retired. At wars end, he was again called to head the
Science Department at Zeiss. Harting, who invented the Helier lens, is now
too old to head the Research Department in an efficient manner. Worn out and
quarrelsome, he tries to keep on good terms with the ruling authorities.
At first, he showed some patriotically-inspired anti-Communist feelings by
cautioning researchers working under his direction against Stiftungskommissar
Robert Rompe who, he said, was a Russian, not a German. Be later did an about-
face and is now on friendly terms with Rempe.
Research Offices and their Functions
7. Following is a list of sixteen .of the main research offices, broken down
according to the category to Which they belong, i.e., laboratories, testing
offices, or computing offices. The abbreviated designations of the offices
arc those used at the Zeiss plant.
a. Laboratories:
1) Messlab:
Laboratory for Ileasuring Devices; fermerly the Physlab, Physical
Laboratory. This laboratory develops such instruments as the Q24
spectrograph (in the development stage), Pulfrich photometers (now
on sale), Interferometers, refractometers, flame photometers (=Ton
sale), and the spectral line of photometers (in the completed develop-
ment stage). The head of this laboratory is Dr. Lukas. He is known
to have been in contact with his predecessor, Dr. G. Hansen, who is
now in Oberkoehen? West Germany.
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2) Medlab:
3)
4)
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Medical Laboratory. This laboratory carries out research on and *velar-
ment of medical-optical devices ranging from improved illumination
for operating tables to devices for the illuminating and projecting
of openings of the human body, such as Kolposcopes and Kolpoprojectors
(sic). The head of this laboratory is Dr. Duch.
0?111111.0.????????????????10
A laboratory which is engaged in the development and improvement of
the technique of reducing reflection (antspiegelung) of glass bodies
used in optical devices to reduce the loss of light caused by reflection;
loss has been cut 1/2 to 3/4 percent per glass-air surface. The head
of this laboratory is also Dr. Duch.
rilab A:
nicroscopic Laboratory engaged in the development of microscopes for
inorganic preparations. The head of this laboratory is Dr. Gausse.
rilab 0:
Microscopic Laboratory engaeed in the development of microscopes for
organic preparations. The head of this laboratory is Dr. Teapp.
Dr. Cehne is engaged at both microscopic laboratories in the develop-
ment of mirror microscopes (reflecting microscopes) Whioh have a better
magnifying and resolving power than the usnal tyre of lens microscope.
6) Elmilab;
Laboratory for Electron Microscopes engaged in the development of
microscopes of the electrostatic type. The head of this laboratory
is amen named Schmidt.
Astroldb:
Laboratory for Astronomical Instruments. This laboratory is charged
with the construction of a Schmidt-type reflecting telescope of 2
meters t diameter. -hen the mirror was originallycast? it was stored
at the Schott firm and there disintegrated during the cooling-off
period. Investigatien revealed that the inherent oscillation
(Cigenschwingung) of the mirror was approximately that of the building
and that this coincidence had led to the disintegration of the mirror.
Another mirror has been cast and is stored at the Schott firm for
cooling. This laboratory has also built three planetaria, two of
which were sold to South American countries. The third was offered
to Stalin as a gift on his 70th birthday but is still stored at the
Zeiss plant. Dr. Hartwig is the head of this laboratory.
8) Fholab:
Fhototechnic Laboratory mainly engaged in research on and development
of camera lenses. It is now engaged in the development of a camera
suitable for a great number of scientific purposes. This camera is,
called the WIKA (Wissenschartliche Kamera).
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In 1946, after the Russians had dismantled the entire equipment of
this laboratory to be used for the development of the Contax camera
at Zeiss-Ikon in Dresden, Zeiss Jena was ordered to build a sililar
installation, which was done in 1947. The Russians then dismantled
this installation and shipped it to the USSR in 1948. The head of
this laboratory is a master technician, but his name is not known.
9) Ophthalmolabs
Laboratory of Ophthalmology engaged in the development of ophthalmological
instruments such as eye-mirrors and eye (retina) cameras. The head
of this laboratory is Dr. Notoboom,
10) Chemlabt
Chemical Laboratory. The head of this laboratory is Dr. Rebentisch.
b. Testing Offices. Research and development are also carried out in the
testing offices,
1) Elprftf:
Testing Office for Electrical Devices develops and tests electrical
devices and equipment for Zeiss products. It also tests such devices
bought from other firms. The head of this office is Dr. Franke.
2) Lipret
Light Testing Office, established in 1947. The main tasks of this
office are the development of intensity and uniformity of illumination
and the procurement and testing of light sources. A recent develop-
ment is a Xenon lamp for projection purposes, such as cinema projection,
which operates on pulses of current and thereby generates mon_ light
per unit of power without decreasing the life of the lamp. The head
of this office is Dr. E. Nelbig.
3) Z-Prftf:
Central Testing
and accuracy of
Otto Dabenecker
c. Computing Offices.
computing offices.
1) Phorech:
Office. This office is responsible for the quality
the finished Zeissproducts and is headed bypro
who was formerly employed at Siemens.glalske.
Research and development are also carried out in the
Computing Office for Photography. This office is engaged mainly in
the computing of camera lenses. Its head is Dr. Zoellner.
2) rirech:
Computing Office for microscopy. Its head is Dr. 3oegehold.
3) Ferech:
Computing Office for Telescopy. This office is headed by Dr. Horst
Koehler.
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New Research Activities at Zeiss
C. Following are somewhat sketchy descriptions of new research projects at Zeiss:
a. Striae Devices:
At the end of 1948, the Russians ordered the Zeiss firm to produce a number
of striae devices (Schlierengerate) for delivery to the USSR. Since these
devices had not heretofore been produced by the firm, a research and
development laboratory was set up. Eventually, only a small numbs,- of
these devices, not more than ten, were built and delivered to the Russians
up to the middle of 1949. Construction was then discontinued and has not
since been rtsumed. The Russians showed great interest in the device and
its rapid delivery. They obtained all blueprints and construction drafts.
The device itself consists of a point source installed in the focal reint
of a parabolic mirror, thereby producing a beam of parallel light rays
and projecting striae on a screen. The device as produced at Zeiss had
the general outline of a tube with a diameter of 70 to CO centimeters and
an over-all length of about 10 meters. The device is reportedly needed
for the study of currents in wind tunnels.
b. Ultrasonic Research:
At the end of 1949, the Zeiss firm established a laboratory for research
in ultrasonics at the request of the DDR. Since the Zeiss firm had no
expert in this.field of research, the task was given to Professor :Schuster,
a specialist on medical-optical devices, who had come to Jena from either
the University or the Technical College in Breslau. Despite the fact
that Schuster is not, properly speaking, an expert in ultrasonic research,
he is an able physicist and has tackled his problem successfully, although
he works with only one or two assistants.
c. Infrared csearch:
Until late December 1950, the Russians had prohibited any laboratory work
at Zeiss on infrared devices. At that time, however, upon the initiative
of the Russians, negotiations were opened for the establishment of a
laboratory for infrared research at Zeiss. The results of these initial
negotiations are not known.
d. Synthetic Crystals Research:
As a side line, Dr. Rebentisch, head of the Chemical Laboratory, isengaeed
in research on the generation of synthetic crystals. The purpose of this
project is to produce a substitute for quartz and fluorspar which are in
short supply.
e. Photocell Research:
After the dismantling of the Zeiss plant by the Russians, a small laboratory
for research into and development of photocells was established. Until
1950, the main project of this laboratory une,the developnent of alkaline
and solenoid cells.
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In 1950, the development of cadmiun sulfide cells was added. Since all
experts in this field have been taken to -the USSR., the laboratory is
beaded by a man nand Hauensteins This project has not yet reached the
industrial production level.
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