My visit to Leica Factory, Solms, Wetzlar

[damiano_fedeli]

<p>Hi all,<br>

I have just come back from a trip to Germany, to Wetzlar, with a guided visit to the Leica factory in Solms. It was a special gift of my life for our second anniversary....<br /><br />It was really amazing! And I'd like to share this experience with you:<br />I have written an article and shot some pictures. You can find it following the link from the homepage of my website <a href="http://www.damianofedeli.it/eng">www.damianofedeli.it</a><br /><br />or directly <a href="http://www.damianofedeli.it/eng/?p=77">here</a></p>

<p>Thank you! And... see you soon<br>

Damiano, Florence, Italy<br>

www.damianofedeli.it</p>

[damiano_fedeli]

A special gift of my WIFE, naturally... :)

[love4leica]

<p>Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I really enjoyed reading it. Regards- Afzal</p>

[jarle_aasland]

<p>Interesting and a bit different than all the other "visit to Solms" stories we've seen lately. Thanks for sharing.<br>

Happy second anniversary!<br>

Jarle</p>

[starvy]

<p>thank you sir. wonderful story.</p>

[gary_pinkerton1]

<p>Very good; thank you for the great photos from Wetzlar especially !</p>

[LenMarriott]

<p>Damiano, I was privilaged to be able to attend the famous Wetzlar Leica School in Nov. 1963. Some samples of my experience there can be found in my 'Leica School' folder. Most of my posts have the details of that experience explained if you read through the comments & 'details' though I've not written as concise an essay as you have. You go have a look at my folder while I digest your essay. You've taken some interesting photos of the old part of town. Some spots are easily recognized even though almost 50 years have passed since I was there. The stone barrier by the river is a great example. Best, LM.</p>

[brucecahn]

<p>Enjoyed the pictures., but must ask one question. What does Leica have to do with Mecca?Mecca is a holy city. Leica is a commercial factory. Why do writers call everything the Mecca of something? Enough with the cliches. I have a few Leicas and like them very much. I do not worship them however. </p>

[george_shihanian]

<p>It's just a somewhat common figure of speech, and has been for many years, and it's been used in other contexts too. A way of saying how an enthusiastic devotee of something is drawn to a place of particular significance. Like if you are a devoted follower of race cars, you may dream of one day seeing the Ferrari factory.... or visiting the Indianapolis or Daytona Speedways in the U.S.... Leica users are said to be devoted or dedicated followers of the brand. [some say insanely devoted :)!] There's no religious disrespect intended if that's what you are insinuating.</p>

<p>Damiano- I enjoyed your photos and written blog very much... well done!</p>

[steve_hoffman]

<p>Damiano,</p>

<p>I enjoyed your essay and my wife couldn't believe the old and new shots of Wetzlar. Not much has changed...</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

[robert_hooper1]

<p>Thank you, Damiano. How did you get from Frankfurt to Wetzlar and Solms? Did you rent a car or use public transportation? Is there a train from Frankfurt to Wetzlar and Solms? </p>

<p>Also, the architecture of the old Leica factory looks rather modern. There must be an older Leica factory building in Wetzlar.</p>

[vic_.]

<p>Enjoyed it very much. Thank you!</p>

[damiano_fedeli]

<p>@everybody: thank you for your interest in our visit!<br>

@ Len: I'm going to see your pictures of Wetzlar!<br>

@Bruce: of course, it's like George wrote: "Mecca" in this case is only a figure of speech, no religious disrespect to anybody!<br>

@Steve: yes, exactly! nothing changed in a century...<br>

@Robert: we rent a car (beeing Italian they gave us a Fiat, eheh) to be free, but we've seen that there are many trains from Frankfurt to Wetzlar. The problem might be from Wetzlar to Solms: sincerely I don't know how they are linked... If you look in the slideshow accompanying the story, you will see also the older Leica buildings in Wetzlar<br>

ciao<br>

Damiano</p>

 

[rjm photo]

<p>Damiano<br>

Excellent work.<br>

Very interesting how they make "only" 50 a day and stepped that up to keep up demand for M9.</p>

[35mmdelux]

<p>Excellent. Grazie -</p>

[paul_neuthaler]

<p>Beautiful essay & photos. Great visit: great wife!</p>

[l_dasousa]

<p>Solms is like Mecca, except that there are many who revere Mecca that are <em>not</em> extremist zealots.</p>

<p>I found your quote so true:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>It’s Sunday morning. A freezing rain is falling on Wetzlar. In front of Eisenmarkt, in the place where Barnack shot his first pictures, stands a group of people. They’re snapping those same buildings. But with their mobile phone.</p>

</blockquote>

[steve_levine]

<p>Cute town, it resembles "Geppetto's village".</p>

<p>You've got to love those original cameras. Nothing superflous, like all subsequent Leica's, just the bare essentials to do the job. Thank's for sharing your story and pictures.</p>

<p>Re: those cell phone cameras. Zeiss makes many of their lenses.</p>

[anthony_brookes5]

<p>Many thanks, an enjoyable essay on the home of Leica.</p>

[ty_mickan]

<p>thanks for the link, great write up.</p>

<p>just to add to an earlier post....to get from Wetzlar to Solms in a "mini-cab" is about €11. In a taxi it's about €20. The girls at the front desk in Solms are happy to organise a mini-cab once you wish to leave. </p>

 

[josh_carr]

<p>I like.</p>

<p>So did Leica only move to Solms because of the demerger? Everything Leica that I own was made in Wetzlar except the Solms-era 39mm plastic lens cap that I use when out and about (don't want to lose one of those old chromed brass ones!)</p>