The Carl Zeiss Foundation

Structure of the Carl Zeiss Foundation

The owner of both Carl Zeiss AG and SCHOTT AG is the Carl Zeiss Foundation (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung).

Carl Zeiss AG and Schott Glas AG have a number of domestic and foreign subsidiaries which have been combined into two organizations, the Carl Zeiss Group and the Schott Group.

Historical Milestones

2004

The foundation’s enterprises are incorporated as separate stock corporations

1991/1995

Following German reunification, Carl Zeiss and SCHOTT acquire their pre-World War II headquarters and later state-owned enterprises in Jena (State of Thuringia)

1946/1952

Operations of the foundation’s enterprises continue in West Germany: Carl Zeiss (Oberkochen) and SCHOTT (Mainz)

1896

The statute of Carl Zeiss Foundation written by Ernst Abbe is enacted as the by-laws of the Foundation and its two enterprises

1891/1919

The Carl Zeiss Foundation becomes the sole owner of the Carl Zeiss and SCHOTT enterprises

1889

Creation of the Carl Zeiss Foundation by Ernst Abbe

1884

Founding of the “Glastechnisches Laboratorium Schott & Genossen” (SCHOTT & Associates Glass Technology Laboratory) by Otto Schott, Ernst Abbe, Carl and Roderich Zeiss

1846

Carl Zeiss sets up an optical workshop in Jena

Objectives and Activities

(in acc. with §1 of the foundation statute)

The main aim of the Carl Zeiss Foundation (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung) is to secure the future of Carl Zeiss AG and SCHOTT AG.
The Foundation is the sole shareholder of the two companies.

Objectives pursued through the companies

  • Specific business activities
  • Upholding the social responsibility of the companies
  • Supporting the general interests of the optical and precision engineering industry
  • Supporting charitable institutions at the sites of the companies and their respective subsidiaries

 

Objectives pursued by the foundation itself

  • Supporting research and science in the fields in which the companies and their subsidiaries are active

Foundation

The Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation) consists of three corporate bodies:

Foundation Administration

  • Allocation of subsidies for research and science
  • Modifications of the foundation statute
  • Appointment of members to the Shareholders’ Council

 

Shareholder Council

  • Responsible for the foundation’s economic interests as a sole shareholder of Carl Zeiss AG and SCHOTT AG
  • Chairman shall be elected chairman of the supervisory boards of the companies (“link” between the foundation and the two companies)

Management Advisory Board

Advisory capacity for

  • Electing Foundation Council members
  • Allocating subsidies
  • Modification of the foundation statute

Corporate Bodies of Carl Zeiss AG

General Meeting

  • Prof. Dr. Dieter Kurz
  • Ludwig Georg Braun
  • Dr. Thomas Lindner

Supervisory Board

Shareholder Representatives:

  • Prof. Dr. Dieter Kurz (Chairman)
  • Dr. Klaus Dieterich
  • Dr. Ing. Mathias Kammüller
  • Prof. Dr. Jürgen Mlynek
  • Dr. Lothar Steinebach
  • Prof. Dr. Dr h.c. Günter Stock
  • Dr. Eberhard Veit
  • Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Vöhringer

Employee Representatives:

  • Dr. Michael Claus (Deputy Chairman)
  • Hariolf Abele
  • Hellmuth Aeugle
  • Prof. Dr. Martin Allespach
  • Reinhard Dickehuth
  • Roland Hamm
  • Karl-Heinz Schuster
  • Manfred Wicht

Executive Board

  • Dr. Michael Kaschke
    (President and CEO)
  • Dr. Hermann Gerlinger
  • Thomas Spitzenpfeil

Corporate Bodies of SCHOTT AG

General Meeting

  • Prof. Dr. Dieter Kurz
  • Ludwig Georg Braun
  • Dr. Thomas Lindner

 

Supervisory Board

Shareholder Representatives:

  • Prof. Dr. Dieter Kurz (Chairman)
  • Prof. Dr. Klaus Backhaus
  • Dr. Eduard Kulenkamp
  • Dr. Stefan Marcinowski
  • Dr. Eckhard Müller
  • Dr. Richard Pott


Employee Representatives:

  • Wolfgang Heinrich
    (Deputy Chairman)
  • Hartmuth Baumann
  • Markus Kraft
  • Judith Krone
  • Dr. Helmut Olyschläger
  • Udo Raue

Executive Board

  • Dr. Hans-Joachim Konz
  • Klaus Rübenthaler

 
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