Download PDF - Carl Zeiss

Formulas for Success...
Formulas describe the functions and processes of what
happens in the world and our lives. It is often the small,
insignificant formulas in particular that play a decisive
role in what we know and in the functionality of modern
instruments and examination methods.
for the large...
The fiftieth anniversary of the death of Albert Einstein
(1879-1955) also marks the centennial of his theory of
relativity; a theory that revolutionized perceptions, made
the processes of life more understandable and began to
explain the dimensions of time and space. The short formula,
E =m·c 2, expresses the infinite complexity of our
world. Einstein had contact with Zeiss throughout the
course of his scientific activities. In 1925 he wrote to the
company Anschütz in Kiel about producing a gyrocompass:
“The difficulties of manufacturing are so great –
accuracies of 10 -4 have to be achieved – that Zeiss is
currently the only company capable of meeting the requirements.“
... and small things in life.
2005 also marks the 100th anniversary of the death of
Ernst Abbes (1840-1905). Numerous events throughout
2005 honor his many great achievements. His extensive
examinations within the scope of his activities at Carl
Zeiss’ optical workshop also resulted in the formula for
the resolution of a microscope: �
d =
2n sin �
Innovation 15, Carl Zeiss AG, 2005
Editorial
It clearly and concisely describes the resolution of optical
instruments using the visible spectrum of light and contributed
to the improvement of optical devices.
The same year also saw the passing of another German
microscope manufacturer with connections to Abbe and
Zeiss: Rudolf Winkel (1827-1905). During Abbe’s times,
good microscopes were also built at Winkel’s workshop
which was founded in Göttingen in 1857. Abbe visited
Winkel’s workshop while he was a student in Göttingen.
His visit in 1894 led to closer cooperation. In 1911, Zeiss
became Winkel’s chief partner. In October 1957, the
firm R. Winkel GmbH became part of the Carl Zeiss
Foundation.
The same year that Abbe died, Robert Koch (1843-
1919) received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his examinations
and discoveries while researching tuberculosis. In
1878, Robert Koch used the Abbe oil immersion system
for the first time and was impressed by the “quantum
leap“ made by the “Carl Zeiss Optical Workshop using
Professor Abbe’s ingenious advice.“ In 1904, Carl Zeiss
management presented Robert Koch with the 1000 th
1/12 objective lens for homogenous oil immersion.
Many articles in this issue are dedicated to Ernst Abbe
and his times. We reflect on what Ernst Abbe meant to
Carl Zeiss and what he did for optics, and we take a special
look at developments that were and continue to be
significantly influenced by Ernst Abbe and his scientific
results. This is emphasized by the image on the cover
pages: an historical tribute to the more than 150 years of
optical development with a focus on microscopy.
July 2005
Dr. Dieter Brocksch
Scientist
Entrepreneur
Social Reformer
3