The history of Braun, a company with a long tradition in photography and optical technology, dates back to 1915 when Karl Braun KG was founded by Karl Braun. In 1948 the company, now known as the Carl Braun Camera-Werk Nürnberg, began producing box cameras for roll film and expanded its range in 1950 to include 35mm cameras. The Paxette, their best-known 35mm viewfinder camera, was affectionately referred to as the “elementary school teacher’s Leica” because of its low price.
Despite their early successes in camera manufacturing, Braun shifted production to the Far East in the 1960s. This change was mainly due to rising production costs in Germany. Later, various 35mm cameras were sold by other manufacturers under the Braun brand name.
Another important milestone in Braun’s history was the introduction of slide projectors in 1954. The Paximat model became a bestseller and by 1997 more than four million units had been sold. However, these achievements were undermined by the rise of digital photography in the late 1990s, which led to a sharp decline in slide projector sales.
The effects of digitization and economic challenges meant that Braun had to file for bankruptcy in 2000. However, the company was able to reorganize itself and returned under the new name BRAUN PHOTO TECHNIK GmbH. Since then, the company has diversified and introduced a range of new products, including camera backpacks, dash cams, binoculars and digital photo frames.
In 2016, Braun moved from Nuremberg to Eutingen in Baden-Württemberg and now shares a location with Reflecta GmbH, another company in the photo industry.
