Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1996/03/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Friends, I agree with Marc James Small. FED stands for Feliks Edmundowicz Dzierzynski who founded the Cheka, the direct ancestor of the KGB. Feliks was a Polish nobleman, known for his love of high-end stuff, including Rolls-Royces. I don't know if he had a Leica since he died of almost natural causes in 1926. I am told that he was not fond of eating mushrooms. First Leica copies were made in the USSR probably for the use of the NKVD, the direct ancestor of the KGB. It is possible that production equipment for this purpose was supplied by the Germans and paid for by the Soviets. However, I am only guessing. If it is true that none of the true Leica stuff was made east of the Elbe, it is a fact that Max Berek came from Poland. However, I doubt that there were any special communications between Feliks and Max. Most likely, Max is in heaven. I don't know about the whereabout of Feliks, his noble Polish countryman. I doubt that they have ever met. Max was fond of naming his lenses after dogs. I don't think he named any after Feliks. Best regards to All, Chris