Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/03/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 02:17 AM 3/1/97 -0000, Paul Schliesser wrote: >BTW, I had been meaning to drop you a note and say how much I enjoyed >talking with you when you were at the camera show in Dayton a few weeks >ago. You told me about this list, and here I am. > >Zeiss scholar that you are, I had meant to ask you if you knew anything >about Barnack at Zeiss. I read someplace that he had originally worked >there, and that Zeiss had laid him off because of his health. This was >why he went to Leitz in the first place. This doesn't seem in keeping >with the image of Zeiss as the enlightened, progressive foundation >dedicated to the well-being of its employees. Paul, it was a pleasure meeting you, too, and welcome aboard! Barnack worked at Zeiss and then at ICA prior to going to Leitz. He was a production foreman which entitled him to executive benefits, including health insurance. Because he suffered from asthma, however, the company would not extend health insurance coverage to him, to his fiscal detriment, as he required pretty extensive medical care. Ernst Leitz heard of this and visited Barnack. The one thing Barnack requested was that Leitz bear his medical bills, and this was agreed to readily, even though Leitz did NOT have any sort of company health-care plan. So Barnack moved to Wetzlar and began work on what would be that famed bearer-of-an-accessory-shoe, the 'ur-Leica'. This is, of course, covered in (ah-HEM), Barringer & Small, THE ZEISS COMPENDIUM, Hove, 1995. Someday I'll post about Barnack and Eckener and Zeppelins -- but that's another fascinating bit of history for another rainy day. Marc msmall@roanoke.infi.net FAX: +540/343-7315 Cha robh bas fir gun ghras fir!