This impressive book tells the story of the Leitz family. They are the entrepreneurs who founded Leica Camera AG and successively built the iconic Leica brand.
The book “Four Generations Leitz in Company Management 1869–1986” by Dr Knut Kühn-Leitz tells the fascinating story of the Leitz family’s four generations. They paved the way for the company’s success. And in turn secured the Leica brand’s iconic status in the world of photography.
“Four Generations Leitz in Company Management 1869–1986” was first published in German in 2020. It is now also available in English to mark the 100th anniversary of the first mass-produced Leica 35mm still camera (Leica I).
A family of entrepreneurs
In his book, Dr Knut Kühn-Leitz provides personal insights into the history of the Leitz family of entrepreneurs. Their visionary decisions and wide-ranging commitment shaped the field of photography and had a decisive influence on how the technology developed.
The company’s history began in 1869 with Ernst Leitz I (1843–1920), who took over the Optical Institute in Wetzlar from Carl Kellner. He continued to run it under his own name and, by the turn of the century, had developed it into a global company.
The birth of 35 mm photography
Ernst Leitz I was succeeded by Ernst Leitz II (1871–1956). His decision to mass-produce the Leica camera, added an entirely new camera system to the company’s production portfolio. This brought about the birth of 35mm photography.
The third Managing Director, Ernst Leitz III (1906–1979), together with his brothers Ludwig and Günther Leitz, secured the company’s economic success during the post-war period. In particular, by further developing research into glass, he opened the second Leica production site in Vila Nova de Famalicão in Portugal. In turn, he introduced new measuring instruments based on precision optics.
Restructuring for the future
Dr Knut Kühn-Leitz (1936–2020) became the last member of the Leitz family to join the company management, in 1971. He successfully set about restructuring the company. At the same time, he forged several international collaborations, including with Wild Heerbrugg AG, which acquired the family’s company shares in 1985.
The publication “Four Generations Leitz in Company Management 1869–1986” brings to life the Leitz family’s entrepreneurial success story, which Leica Camera AG is still writing to this day. The book excels with its exceptional print quality, lively narrative style and numerous fascinating images, which include many rare photos from the company and family archive.
For more details and pricing of the book “Four Generations Leitz in Company Management 1869–1986”, please contact your nearest Leica store.
To learn more about Leica and the Leica Centennial:
Leave a reply and join in the discussion
The comments section below every article is a friendly, non-confrontational space where you can air your views without fear of stirring the sort of hornets’ nest that is so often a feature of websites. We welcome your views on the content of our articles, and your opinions on all aspects of photography are a lifeblood for Macfilos. Please let us know, in the section below, if you agree or disagree with our authors’ opinions — and please have no hesitation in adding your advice if you think we’ve overlooked anything important.