A Gem-like Light Meter from the DDR - Excelsior 3 - & a short tale of how DDR 'business' worked

<p><strong>Excelsior 3</strong><br /><br />I had recently posted a sort of accumulation of light meters I had in-gathered over the years ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00XeqE ). Some of these things are really interesting in an interplay between form and function.<br /><br />Looking at the posts, I was interested to see what people had; and, as so often happens, one thing led to another. I found a marvelous and even organized site on various meters and found that there had been some light meters made in the DDR. As some of you know, old DDR cameras are a sort of addiction with me, so, I found one that looked kind of interesting, an Excelsior meter ( http://www.jollinger.com/photo/meters/meters/keisewetter_excelsior_jr.html ). So I went on eBay and searched for Excelsior, and there it was.<br /><br />It was not the same model as at the link above, but it was a gorgeous little thing in a spectacular red leather case, ivory bakelite, and multicolored strap. My interest was not _quite_ up to the starting bid however, so I put a 'watch' on it. In due course, the time ran out on the auction with no one buying it. Immediately, it was relisted by the vendor at a Buy-It-Now price about 250% of the original starting bid, but with a "best offer" option. I made an offer which the vendor immediately accepted, and in about ten days I had a small package from Sofia, Bulgaria. <br /><br />My Excelsior 3 meter made by what is today Rudolf Kiesewetter Messtechnik GmbH, had arrived ( http://www.kiesewetter-mt.de/1024_768/index.html ).<br /><br />Here are pictures of this meter and its case:</p><div></div>

<p><strong>A short tale of how DDR 'business' worked</strong><br /> A few notes on the history of the company involved and the social conditions in what was first the SBZ - the Soviet Occupied Zone - and later became the 'independent' German Democratic Republic - DDR. In this area, the Soviet occupation authorities initially established governmental organizations that (as in the West) that were at least superficially "republican" in form, going back to the pre-Nazi conditions known to the German expatriates who returned to Germany with the Red Army. Although the Nazi Party (NSDAP) was naturally banned, the other various political parties of the Weimar republic were reconstituted or were allowed to be reconstituted. Thus, at the beginning the SBZ had political parties paralleling those of the US/Allied occupation zones. Soon, however, there was a vote on a unification of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and the old Marxist, but non-Leninist, Socialist Party (SPD). When this occurred the new resulting party, the Socialist Unity Party (SED) became the 'governing' party in the SBZ>DDR. The other parties were NOT eliminated however, and right up to the end, these parties were represented in the East German parliament (a circumstance which greatly facilitated the fall of the SED from power in 1989-90). All parties did have to acknowledge the "vanguard" character of the SED, however. To cut this meandering tale off, this also was reflected in the nature of "business" in the DDR. At the beginning, companies like KW and (back to the point) Rudolf Kiesewetter Messtechnik were left initially in PRIVATE ownership, although management was combined with worker elements, etc. Thus, I believe that the early manufacture of Praktiflex cameras was done by KW while still technically owned (in theory) by the Nobles, who were in an NKVD prison camp at the time. In the case of KW, that did quickly become the VEB (People's Owned Enterprise) Kamerawerke Niedersedlitz.<br /><br />Other companies like Kiesewetter, however, were allowed to continue under a kind of private ownership until around 1958 when the government took an even more dominant role in management. Full nationalization did not occur until 1972 in the VEB Excelsiorwerk.<br /><br />So during the time that this little meter was made (1965) the firm was still making not-completely "socialist" lightmeters. Perhaps that explains the 'decadent' and bourgeois opulence of the object. ;)<br /><br />Not to leave you in suspense, the company was reprivatized in the aftermath of the reunification (Anschluß) of the DDR into what seems to be called Deutschland these days.<br /><br /><br />The selenium meter works just fine, again perhaps because of protection from light in the box and red leather etui (not just a crossword puzzle word in German.</p>

<p>Here is the paperwork, also intact for the simple (not needed) instructions and the guarantee.<br /> <strong><br /></strong></p><div></div>

<p>That's all folks.</p>

<p>Just a side comment, Bulgarian Post seems to be extremely efficient and much cheaper than some other European postoffices you'd probably expect to be better.</p>

<p>Thanks for that very interesting history lesson, JDM.</p>

<p>Thanks for a very concise history, <strong>JDM</strong>. One forgets those tumultuous days...That's a beautiful little instrument. I wonder if it was directed towards feminine purchasers? It's certainly a fashion accessory, right down to the "Turk's Head" knot that secures the strap. Well done, and thanks for a really interesting post.</p>

<p>Interesting read, thanks for sharing JDM.</p>

<p>Cool looking meter and history. Nice to have all the docs, too. Neat post, thank you.</p>

<p>Now you're talkin' JDM. Some like cameras, others like lenses, I love collecting light meters.</p>

<p>Was that 38.75 East German Deutsche Marks or West German DMs? I have no idea how they compared during those days.</p>

<p>Just a few remarks to JDM's very interesting and very detailed description of political and business life in the DDR:<br>

1. Even in the DDR parliament, the SED did NOT have more than 40 p.c. of the votes. All existing parties were united in the "national front" when it came to voting, and all you could do was accept or deny the candidates of the "national front", there was no way of eliminating certain candidates, parties or organizations by elections. 40 p.c. of the candidates were SED members, all others were members of other parties or political organizations, such as the (theoretically independent) trade unions etc. Anyhow, it was obvious that all members of parliament always accepted the suggestions of the government with 100 p.c. of the votes.<br>

2. The package of the light meter has a selling price indication with "DM". Up to 1964, the currency of the DDR was officially called "Deutsche Mark der Deutschen Notenbank" (German mark of the german state bank) and the short form DM was identical to the west-german DM. In 1964, the east-german currency was renamed "Mark deutscher Notenbank" (MDN) and later "Mark der DDR", the latter had the shortform "M". So probably this lightmeter was made a bit earlier than indicated by JDM.</p>

<p>Definitely Ostmarks. Ostensibly at a 1:1 exchange with the West German mark, but in reality worth quite a bit less depending on when. The backs of the coins were identical, but the Eastmarks were the typical aluminum 'flutter' coins of the Warsaw Pact.</p>

<p>I do have a much older pre-war meter from Keisewetter, all-metal with a beautifully-worked chrome ring around the glass. Nothing special about it, except it's my oldest light meter and probably the best, construction-wise. It's a 'Picoscop' I believe.</p>

<p>Thanks Winfried.</p>

<p>My date was the date of the March 11, 1965 on the Garantie-Schein. The meter had to have been built earlier than that. of course.</p>

<p>The politics of the DDR were complicated by the fact that when it was set up by the Soviet authorities and the local SED people, it was not technically a "Marxist-Leninist" state like many of its fellow Warsaw Pact states. Ironically, it was after the death of Stalin that it became much more in line with that form, even becoming more Stalinist than was the later Soviet Union. It was in that later mode that more and more of the "private" companies were brought into the big VEB organizations.</p>

 

<p>Jody, yes, the firm itself was founded in 1908 and at their website claim to have been the first meter company in Germany. During the DDR-time, they may have concentrated more on consumer products, although I don't know for sure. Today, they make all kinds of meters for all kinds of technical applications.</p>

<p>Here's a East 50 mark that would have bought the meter in 1964-5</p>

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<blockquote>

<p>Not to leave you in suspense, the company was reprivatized in the aftermath of the reunification (Anschluß) of the DDR into what seems to be called Deutschland these days.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>slightly of topic and not to question your vastly greater knowledge than mine of all things DDR, but isn't the term "Anschluß" normally used for identifying the voluntary unification between Austria and Nazi-Germany?</p>

<p>Erwin, you are quite right. In <em>West</em> Germany the term was and is <em>Wiedervereinigung</em>. However, in the East, the process has come to be seen as more akin to <em>Anschluß</em> because of the failed hopes involved (<a href="http://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?p=6630#h16">link</a>).</p>

<p>My use of the term was intentional and confrontational.</p>

I'll need to stop reading these ancient threads, this one re-awakened an urge to get a Leningrad 6 meter and now one is winging its way from Ukraine.

It's not that I need one, I have a LunaPro SBC * and a couple of selenium meters that still work perfectly well, but I've always thought you can't have enough back-up when things go to pot.

 

*Just repaired a broken battery connection on the SBC after forgetting about it for years. It was nice seeing it back in action. Of course, now the SBC is working again, I'll have to start getting some accessories for it.

Edited August 2, 2022 by dave_henderson|1