VEB CARL ZEISS JENA: STANDARDIZATION SECTION DESTROYED BY FIRE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008000090005-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 30, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 23, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/10/30: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008000090005-2
developments and models were microfilmed, and these reportedly were not
destroyed. Since January 1954, however, the general practice of micro-
filming all drawings and blueprints of new inventions and development waz
had been discontinued for the sake of economyT-aost?;of}tb 'Sd:ld rnents =at rtet
considered lost. Much of the material can be;*
cbch+ ::; d by having either
DATE OF INFO
PLACE ACQUI
DATE ACQUIR
23 September 1955
25X1
IL_
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT. IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
1.- The Standardization Section of VEB -Carl /Zeiss, Jena was destroyed-.j.?
by fire on 30 July 1955. This section we$ located on the fifth floor of' 25X1
a building in the main plant. The fire w&8 reportedly caused by careless.
news of Standardization Section Chief Maehrklet (fnu), who failed to disconnect
a hot plate located in his office; he was immediately placed under arrest.
When the fire progrosaed to such a point that the local East German fire
fighting4 personnel could not control it, Soviet troops were
called upon for assistance. The fire lased from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.
2. The Standardization Section housed ':photostat and microfilming equip.
dent for use by the entire plant. The most important itetllslocoted in this
section were the original bluepririta... of all produots manufactured or
developed by the plant. The majority of-the blue nta... were stored in
wooden filing cabinets and were ,. ,. destroyed; some had been filed
in metal cabinets; but they-were badly damaged. Stock records were also
filed in this section.
3. Untilka Jfinuary 1954, most blueprints and drawings of .. , - new production
INFORMATION REPOB;r
East Germany
This material contains information affecting the
National Defense of the United States within the
meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C.
cs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revel-
ion of which in any manner to an unauthorized
rson is prohibited by law.
VEB Carl Zeiss, Jena: Standardization DATE DISTR.
Section Destroyed by Fire
original development engineers repeat their work, or by collating
It is believed that this will take several months.
Responsible officials of VEB Carl Zeiss, Jena, estimated the damage caused
by the fire at several million DMEO
STATE $ ARMY x
NAVY x AIR X FBI AEC
Approved For Release 2008/10/30: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008000090005-2
 Approved For Release 2008/10/30: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008000090005-2
Approved For Release 2008/10/30: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008000090005-2