Nitschke Genira, Rathenow 6x30 binos (1 Viewer)

[blackstan]

Hi all, picked up these binoculars quite cheap and I'm hitting a brick wall so far. What I know is that the D.R.G.M stamp on the hinge is a sort of patent 'made in Germany ' mark used from the early 20th century up until 1952. I'm not finding any that are the same magnification, 6x30. I don't think they are a military pair but I'd be keen to know the age of manufacture. They do work although the right eye individual focus is not operating, I want to make sure they are not super rare as I'm thinking of cleaning the lens and prisms, cheers .

 

[Binastro]

Emil Busch Rathenow was the largest optical company in Rathenow.
Formed in 1801 but making microscopes from 1790 by one of the founders.

The second largest optical company in Rathenow was Nitschke and Gunther, which was expropriated in November 1945.
In March 1946 N and G became Rathenow optische Werke mbH.
On 1 July 1948 they, together with Busch, became a state owned company. VEB ROW.

Eventually merged with Zeiss.

I have a very large very heavy Emil Busch Survey camera 30cm square film, vacuum or or pressure plate back using Zeiss 20cm Topogon, 50cm Aero Tessar and 75cm Telikon lenses.

6x30 is a common format both military and civilian.
The Nitschke 6x30 may or may not have a code, usually 3 letters.
Probably civilian.

I don't think it is particularly rare although Busch and Zeiss are more common.

6x30s were made in many countries.
Some have reticles in one eyepiece.
I have a Czech one that is better than the Zeiss version.

Regards,
B.

 

[blackstan]

Emil Busch Rathenow was the largest optical company in Rathenow.
Formed in 1801 but making microscopes from 1790 by one of the founders.

The second largest optical company in Rathenow was Nitschke and Gunther, which was expropriated in November 1945.
In March 1946 N and G became Rathenow optische Werke mbH.
On 1 July 1948 they, together with Busch, became a state owned company. VEB ROW.

Eventually merged with Zeiss.

I have a very large very heavy Emil Busch Survey camera 30cm square film, vacuum or or pressure plate back using Zeiss 20cm Topogon, 50cm Aero Tessar and 75cm Telikon lenses.

6x30 is a common format both military and civilian.
The Nitschke 6x30 may or may not have a code, usually 3 letters.
Probably civilian.

I don't think it is particularly rare although Busch and Zeiss are more common.

6x30s were made in many countries.
Some have reticles in one eyepiece.
I have a Czech one that is better than the Zeiss version.

Regards,
B.

Thanks for the info....thats a lot to take in. There isn't a reticule in the eyepiece. I have several ww2 german dienstglas service binoculars with the code on them. I suppose if the company was expropriated , does that mean almagated?, in 1945 then its safe to assume these binoculars are probably 1930s...simply because I wouldn't imagine during ww2 that many german factories were making civilian binoculars...they are still nice to have and I only paid £15 for them so I'm happy. Thanks for the info Binastro, all the very best , stan 🙂

 

[Binastro]

Both expropriated and amalgamated.

References talk of Nitsche and Gunther, so I am not sure of the correct spelling, but Nitschke seems more likely from your binocular.
They made eye glass lenses and apparently Rathenow had 163 optical companies.

It may be that the local sand was high quality as near Wetzlar.

Britain didn't have optical quality sand, although we do export other types of sand.

Indian sand was good for photographic lenses, but mainly because it contained thorium.

I think the background radiation is several times higher there than generally in Britain.
Except Cornwall where there are radon problems.

Regards
B.

 

[Ignatius]

It was Nitsche & Günther - no idea why it is printed differently on those binos.
Together with the former Emil Busch AG they were integrated into the Rathenower Optische Werke (VEB ROW) which by 1950 once again employed over 1800 employees. In 1966 the VEB ROW was integrated into the combine VEB Carl Zeiss Jena.
As an aside: in the 1940s a subsidiary of Nitsche & Günther was established in Osterburg. This was also expropriated in 1948 and the shareholding family members left for Düsseldorf, establishing a new company there which produced NiGuRa spectacles - the acronym stood for Nitsche & Guenther Rathenow (ue being equal to ü in German).
Emil Busch AG also went west, to Göttingen, and from 1953 produced spectacles there using the Emil Busch GmbH, Göttingen moniker. This company was swallowed up by Carl Zeiss AG at some point.

 

[blackstan]

Both expropriated and amalgamated.

References talk of Nitsche and Gunther, so I am not sure of the correct spelling, but Nitschke seems more likely from your binocular.
They made eye glass lenses and apparently Rathenow had 163 optical companies.

It may be that the local sand was high quality as near Wetzlar.

Britain didn't have optical quality sand, although we do export other types of sand.

Indian sand was good for photographic lenses, but mainly because it contained thorium.

I think the background radiation is several times higher there than generally in Britain.
Except Cornwall where there are radon problems.

Regards
B.

Thanks Binastro, I wasn't aware of the sand requirements, that's an education for sure. I've been able to do a sort of job on them and apart from a couple of black spots , I've cleaned them up enough to be able to use them. I don't take them completely apart, I've neither the tools or skills for this, but as they were cheap and someone had previously been into them, I don't think there's any harm done...cheers Binastro

 

[blackstan]

It was Nitsche & Günther - no idea why it is printed differently on those binos.
Together with the former Emil Busch AG they were integrated into the Rathenower Optische Werke (VEB ROW) which by 1950 once again employed over 1800 employees. In 1966 the VEB ROW was integrated into the combine VEB Carl Zeiss Jena.
As an aside: in the 1940s a subsidiary of Nitsche & Günther was established in Osterburg. This was also expropriated in 1948 and the shareholding family members left for Düsseldorf, establishing a new company there which produced NiGuRa spectacles - the acronym stood for Nitsche & Guenther Rathenow (ue being equal to ü in German).
Emil Busch AG also went west, to Göttingen, and from 1953 produced spectacles there using the Emil Busch GmbH, Göttingen moniker. This company was swallowed up by Carl Zeiss AG at some point.

Thank you very much, that's great information, I do think they are 1930s, I have a slightly smaller pair dated 1936 ,ziess shorter, and the construction is very similar, thanks again.