The birthplace of the Rodenstock company was in Würzburg. Previously active as a travelling salesman, Josef Rodenstock settled in Würzburg in 1877 and started making and selling barometers, precision scales and measuring instruments in addition to spectacles lenses and frames from 1878 onward. As early as 1882, Rodenstock was already making exports to Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy and Russia. The company relocated to Munich in 1883. Josef Rodenstock purchased the present company premises in Munich at a branch of the Isar which was then still outside the town limits in early 1886. Camera lenses and lens elements were an important part of the company's business. Rodenstock financed the expansion of the company from the profits from this division. The Rodenstock family company metamorphosed from a more handicraft-focused factory operation into a modern industrial company. Innovation has always been a keyword to Rodenstock, and the first UV absorbing lenses were being manufactured even before the First World War. With the outbreak of war in 1914, the painstakingly developed export business collapsed. However, the "Tele" department experienced a boom with binoculars for the army. 

In the 1920s and 1930s, Rodenstock made successful large series of lenses for the camera industry; the company's own production of complete cameras was closed down again due to the pressure from customers on the camera lens side. The Depression caused sales to shrink by more than half from 1930 to 1933. Pressure from the banks increased - it was only just possible to prevent a takeover by a competitor and by the Nazi armaments industry. From 1942 to the end of the war, practically the whole production range was fixed by the Armaments Ministry. Rodenstock's range included tank sights and periscope prisms for tanks. App. 40% of the Munich premises was destroyed by the effects of war. Thanks to the support of the workforce, Rodenstock was able to restart spectacle production only four weeks after the end of the war as the only large factory in the American zone. 

Most of us know the exquisit large- and mediumformat lenses made by Rodenstock, and of course also the series made for the Kodak Retina's, and especially the 30mm and 35mm Eurygon are very sought after by collectors. Rodenstock didn't produce many cameras, which of course makes them rather interesting. However it can be no surprise, that the camera manufacturers to whom Rodenstock supplied lenses didn't feel it was a good idea that Rodenstock also became a competitor, and that they therefore put the thumbscrews on Rodenstock to seize camera production all together.  

As part of the concentration on the core business of spectacles, Rodenstock divested itself of the whole photographic and precision-optical business and sold it to Linos AG, Göttingen in 2000. The famous Rodenstock photographic products are today manufactured in their proven quality there. The above text are partly courtesy of Rodenstock, and you can read the complete Rodenstock history here:

Rodenstock history by Rodenstock

I am not at all sure about the year of production for this beautiful Rodenstock Robra. However Mr. Dieter Wenzel from Rondestock / LINOS Photonics GmbH & Co.KG in München came to my recue, and was so kind to inform me, that allthough most records were lost during the II World War, he knew that this camera was built around 1930. The fact is, that the Robra is a very nice old school folding bed camera, which can be adjusted in almost all dimensions for f.e. architecture photography. It is wonderfully made, and offers all kinds of adjustment possibilities imagineable. I guess you have be a little "nerdy" to actually use the Robra, but apart from the old-school frosted glass focusing through the back there is no reason why it shouldn't provide some hours of good fun and some nice shots too. It is provided with a folded sports viewfinder and a prism vievfinder, and as you can see from the photo below, it is actually not that big in comparison with a Rolleicord. All controls are situated around the shutter and the front lens bracket. Please also note the beautiful liquid filled level meter next to the prism viewfinder. The Robra came with a selection of interchangeable backs, such as the 120 rollfilm back, a Voigtländer sheet film back and a plate back, and of course the original folding focusing back with folding cloth shades. I couldn´t think of a nicer Rodenstock camera to represent this remarkable German manufacturer than this aged beauty, and whats even better; the Deckel shutter fires like clockwork and the uncoated Rodenstock lenses are crystal clear..

I wasn't really supposed to have this Robra at all. I was just looking through eBay auctions that were just about to end when I stumbled across this Lady, and as if I were controlled by an unknown force I just hit that "bid button" with only a few seconds to auction close and won the auction. However the seller really only wished to sell it within Germany, and of course I had not asked permission to place a bid allthough I live in Denmark. Embarassing !!. You should ALWAYS remember to ask for the sellers permission before placing bids for stuff listed as only available within a certain geographic area.  However the seller agreed to ship the camera anyway, and he turned out to be a very pleasant aqquaintance and above all a true Gentleman !. He had confirmed the shippingcosts, which eventually turned out to be 20,- Euro higher than confirmed, but because he had given his word, he would carry the loss himself. Of course he will receive the balance from me, but it is truly a wonderfuld experience to come across those rare gentlemen in days like these. The Gentleman I am talking about, are Mr. Günther Mühlöder of Roth - Germany who apart from being a man of integrety also are a wonderful photographer. Go visit hos webpage here:

Günther Mühlöders photo site