witness of a century (1925 – 2025). – Carlo Franza’s blog

Exhibitions, events, a film premiere and a legendary auction to celebrate the centenary of the first Leica camera ever produced. Exactly a century ago, the Leica I set a milestone that revolutionized the universe of photography: the first Mass-produced 35mm camerawith a compact and handy format, it changed the world, created witnesses and testimonies, stopped new memories.

Leica Camera AG celebrates one hundred years of the first Leica I camera with products dedicated to the centenary, exhibitions, photography meetings and the auctioning of one of the rarest cameras in history, in Leica World in Wetzlar, Leitz Park in Germany.

special editions

In homage to this pioneering invention, Leica presents the Leica M11 100 Years of Leica “WETZLAR GERMANY” camera, limited to 100 copies, and a series of other special editions: Leica D-Lux 8, Leica SOFORT 2 and a 10×40 binoculars from the Trinovid series.

the great exhibitions

The Pleasure of Seeing at the Ernst Leitz Museum is a retrospective dedicated to Joel Meyerowitzpioneer of color photography and visual witness of American society since the 1960s.

Augenzeuge (Eyewitness) at the Leica Galerie tells the intense and courageous testimony of Édouard EliasFrench photojournalist committed to reporting on the humanitarian crises of our time.

These Are the Days And an intimate and personal collection of shots by the musician and photographer Jamie Cullum.

the auction of one of the rarest cameras in the world

With the 46th Leitz Photographica Auctionthe Leica series 0 n. 112 of 1923one of the first 35 mm cameras ever built, recently exhibited at the Milan Design Week in which Leica Camera Italia participated, was beaten for 7.2 million euros. A figure that testifies to the value of this extraordinary piece of history and which makes it n. 112 the second most expensive camera ever sold.

the documentary

The documentary film Leica, A Century of Vision of the director Reiner Holzemer celebrates the cultural and symbolic value of the brand through the voices of some of the greatest photographers of our time: Steve McCurry, Joel Meyerowitz, Sebastião Salgadorecently passed away, and the new generations like JR, Sarah M. Lee And Dominic Nahr.

With this anniversary, Leica celebrates not just a camera, but an entire century of looks, stories and imagination. A century of vision that continues to inspire the world.

Over the past 100 years, Leica has decisively shaped the technological and cultural evolution of photography through innovation, craftsmanship and engineering. Constantly focusing on the essentials

: the passion for photography. It is therefore logical and right to celebrate a century of continuous camera production together with partners, the media, politics and exponents of photography. I would like to thank our approximately 2,400 employees located around the world, who shape the Leica culture every day with their craftsmanship and innovative spirit.

Andreas KaufmannChairman of the Supervisory Board of Leica Camera AG

One hundred years ago, Leica pioneered documentary and artistic photography by creating completely new expressive possibilities and bringing diversity to photography. But above all, the Leica camera changed our view of the world forever. It’s more than just a tool: it’s the symbol of passion, innovation and an inexhaustible drive to capture emotional moments for eternity. With our 28 Leica galleries around the world, the 95-year-old Leica Akademie, the renowned Ernst Leitz Museum, the awarding of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award and the publication of the Leica Fotografie International magazine, we have always supported the culture of photography on a global scale.

Karin Rehn-Kaufmannart director and general representative of Leica Galleries International

The main pillars of the company’s success are the sports cameras and optics segments. With innovative products and solid know-how in the photography, sports optics, smartphones, home cinemas, ophthalmic lenses and watches, we are bringing the company’s history into the future.

Matthias HarschCEO of Leica Camera AG

One hundred years of Leica: witness to a century

In 2025, Leica Camera AG celebrates the centenary of the Leica I. First presented to the public in 1925 at the Leipzig Spring Fair, it was the first mass-produced 35 mm camera and managed to exceed all expectations. Thanks to its compact and handy format, it opened the way to completely new photographic applications. With the motto “One hundred years of Leica: witness to a century”, Leica Camera AG celebrates this very camera, which revolutionized photography, throughout the world. On the occasion of the international events organized by the local Leica representatives, which will take place throughout the year in the metropolises of Dubai, Milan, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo, cultural projects and exceptional special editions of the product will be presented. The celebrations reach their peak with the centenary week organized in Wetzlar, the city where the company is headquartered. Added to all this are the high-caliber exhibitions set up in the international network of Leica galleries, with works by excellent photographers.

Leica Camera

With a company history of more than one hundred and fifty years, Leica Camera AG is a leading global manufacturer of cameras, lenses and sports optics. As part of its development strategy, the company has expanded its business to mobile photography with smartphones and the production of high-quality eyeglass lenses and watches; it is also present in the home cinema segment with an offer of its own projectors. Headquartered in the small town of Wetzlar, Germany, and a second production site in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal, Leica Camera AG has a worldwide network of its own distributors with over 120 Leica Stores. The Leica brand stands for excellent quality, German craftsmanship and industrial design Made in Germany, all combined with innovative technologies. A key element of the brand’s culture is the promotion of photographic culture, with around thirty Leica galleries and Leica Akademie branches present throughout the world, to which are added international awards such as the “Leica Hall of Fame Award” and the “Leica Oskar Barnack Award” (LOBA).

Carlo Franza