Josef Rodenstock founded the company 1877 with the first fine-mechanical workshop in Würzburg, Germany. Nobody could suspect at that time that he should become the founder of a world well-known optical company.
Already 1891 worked 120 employees for the company. They produced besides eyglasses and accessories, bonoculars and -pipes, microscopes, magnifying glasses etc. also numerous cameras and photo lenses.
1899 started the production in the new built factory in Regen, Germany. 1904 established the company additionally a glasswork for raw glasses. 1905 entered Alexander, the son of Josef Rodenstock into the company. After the expansion in Regen, Germany Rodenstock developed also the Munich factory with head office. The company expanded over the years continously and had up to the death of Alexander Rodenstock (1953) 2100 employees.
In spring 1940 entered Rolf, the son of Alexander Rodenstock officially into the company. Rodenstock became one of the most important optics supplier of the German camera industry. 1960 produced Rodenstock 300 000 lenses in the year, in 1959 the four millionth lens was produced since the end of the war. From 1983 on Rolf Rodenstock led the company together with its son Randolf. After Rolf Rodenstock had led the company 37 years long, the responsibility for the company passed to its son. In 1995 the whole Rodenstock Precision Optics were separated from the company and integrated into the new founded Rodenstock Technology Holding.
In the end of the 1990th Randolf Rodenstock laid the focus on the glasses business and in the year 2000 the Göttinger company LINOS, a world-wide active manufacturer of ambitous optical systems, took over the complete Rodenstock Precision Optics as well as the Rodenstock Precision Optics, USA. Thus the Rodenstock Precision Optocs became an enterprise of the LINOS AG.
The LINOS AG found a new partner with the Qioptiq group (existing since 2005), an organization of worldwide optics companies with locations in Europe, Asia and the USA.
To October 1, 2009 the precision optics of LINOS relocated the company to Feldkirchen near Munich and drew into a complete new, independent building with modern manufacturing levels.
