VEB CARL ZEISS JENA FINANCIAL SITUATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A001200080001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 10, 2009
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 12, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/03/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200080001-9
CLASSIFICATION r, F., fi Tfl flT M..tTION
CENTRAL INTaLGENCL~ AGECY
~ ~ ATI REPORT
:' U RY East Germany
MUBJECT VEB Carl Ze10s, Jena,Flnancial Situation
LAC E
DTTE. OF
NFO.
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or TFtR Fetdr n ssett[tt 1F7fate :RtZ M24 o o s, G U ' meve Rr+a I
REPORT
CD NO,
DATE DISTR, 12 `lay 1953
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS. 25X1
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
TTM IS U MALUATED WFORMATION
`.' naxac i_a.i dpi f'icui.tie3 which 7 Carl Zeiss, Jena, experienced during 1952
ant is .till ex'.vriencing, are caused mainly by the seasonal difficulties
inherent in the planning of optical production? It is inherent in the 25X1
n1an that sales ore insu`"icient in the first cart of the T: tear, but that
k. hey increase in the latter nfart, To illustrate, sales figures for the
i.r t months of 1952 and the first of 1953 follow:
ictober 1952 about 11 million 151:
lovember 1952
T+ecember 1952
January 1953
Abruary 1953
rl
'I
12
n tt
U
5,5
U
It It
#>
in order to -meet its monthly ohlioations, the firm would have to achieve a
:Eonthl. v sales total of 9 to 10 million DIP`., In spite of the seasonal
r ir'"lculties caused by the nl-n, the fir could make money on a yearly
is, -.-ere it not for a1ciitional factors which nullify any possibility
of real nrofit. for examnie, the firm has to house and train 2,000
nnrentices of a total work crew of 17,000, ltd
- "hen) n the sump F}r of 1952 the Zeiss budget was badly unbalanced because
or the above reasons, a government commission, comnoged mostly of engineers,
was sent to Jena to investir?ate. The visit was officially camouflaged as an
economic investigation; it is known, however, that political motives were
also behind the insnection, which was initiated by the government and the
Central Committee of the 30.; It 0- very probable that (fnu) t3raune, a
returnee from! ;iussia., drew the attention or the Central Committee to what
le found to be the undesirable oolitical attitude of leading Zeiss nersonnel.
1ranme, a technician of minor in;'ortance, received political indoctrination
in ia.rg3ia; since his return to Oermanvyhe has been in close touch with the
-
Central Committee and the State iecurity 3ervice. In October 1952,the in
?e t iy3ting commission sugrestF the reraoval of Zeiss Director Hugo 3chrade,.
it that. q,1ite the seasonal -,-,ick.--un in Zeiss business occurred and 3chrade
,ia 9l1c"e-3 no Veeo his -position,
-..(-'SS}F l~sf-li+ 11J6',i :SECRET
STATE N RdAN f X Dasre _ DISTRIBUT10t.~~~
Approved For Release 2009/03/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200080001-9
 Approved For Release 2009/03/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200080001-9
Approved For Release 2009/03/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200080001-9
 Approved For Release 2009/03/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200080001-9
d~'Cf:FT.
As a result or the investigation, Zeiss was granted by the Council of
Ministers a. spe,ial credit (Ueberplankredit) of 1.0 million DME., It was
stipulated that 15 million DME were to be paid back by the end of 1952-
On 1 January 1953, tho firm owed only 22 million DME By I March 1953,
however,, debt had risen again to 28 million DME,
Conunent. Including Zeiss works not in Jena, the normal number of 25X1
Zeiss apprentices used to be between 500 and 600.
Approved For Release 2009/03/10: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA001200080001-9