Docter Optics

Docter Optics is a German manufacturer of sports optics, including binoculars, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, red dot sights, flashlights and reading glasses. Its headquarters are in Eisfeld, Germany, where most of the products are developed and manufactured. Docter is part of the Analytik Jena Group.

History
The company grew out of binocular production by the forerunner of Carl Zeiss AG before World War Two. In 1952 a part of the company VEB Carl Zeiss Jena was established in Eisfeld in what was then East Germany. Starting from tasks as supplier of parts and pre-assembling products for the Zeiss factories in Jena the company continuously developed over the following years to become a producer of precision-engineered optical consumer goods and industrial products. Besides that VEB Carl Zeiss Jena produced military optics for the armed forces of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) like the NVA DF 7x40 and NVA EDF 7x40 roof prism binoculars.

A year after the German reunification, the Eisfeld plant of the Jenoptik Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH, which employed 550 staff, was taken over by Bernhard Docter, who lent his name to the company and products. The company now traded under the name Docter-Optic-Eisfeld GmbH and continued with the production of binoculars, riflescopes, spotting scopes, magnifying glasses and opto-electronic measurement equipment. The company Docter-Optic in Wetzlar declared bankruptcy for the whole business on 15 November 1995.

On 1 May 1997 a part of the business with 40 staff was continued by Analytik Jena GmbH, to which traditionally good relations existed. Already the first year after the takeover was completed with very good turnover and results. In 2006 Docter employed 100 staff.