Ernst Leitz II

The second son of Ernst Leitz I, he became head of the E. Leitz optical company on the death of his father in 1920, and remained in charge until his passing in 1956, when his sons Ernst Leitz III, Ludwig and Günther, took control of the company. Experimenting with making a portable camera as early as 1911, Ernst Leitz II (1870-1956) expanded the optical company's production to include cameras using the name Leica, which was an abbreviation of Lei(tz) ca(mera), and adapting employee's Oskar Barnack (camera) and Max Berek (lens) designs to manufacture the Leica 0 of 1925. Known as enlightened administrator and company owner, Ernst II is also credited with the design of the Universal viewfinder VIDOM.