In 1902 Engineers Alfred Lippert and Karl Peppel founded a camera manufacturing company in Dresden, Germany.

In 1905 the company was listed as being located at GroBzschachwitz, Pirnaische Road 11. At this time the name Certo was now associated with the company name and the early cameras manufactured carried the name Certo 0 and Certo 00. The word Certo is derived from Latin, to mean "safe and reliable".

In 1906 the company name was then Certo Camera-werk

IN 1917 Emil Paul Zimmerman purchased the company.

At around 1921 the company began to name the camera models instead of using model numbers, for example the Certo 00 is named Certofix

IN 1928-29 the business grew and was expanded with a new building with the company containing about 150 employees.

In 1935 the company introduced a 33mm camera called the Dollina. This camera proved to be very successful. Within a year the company made the Dollina II, which included a coupled rangefinder placed on top of the Dollina I body.

During WWII the company took steps to protect some of the camera making machinery by hiding it in employee's houses. During the War the Soviets confiscated most of the machinery, Certo's precautions proved to be wise and sometime after the war the company was able to resume camera production.

in 1944 Zimmermann's son-in-law Fritz von der Gonna took over the management of the company then Fritz's son, Eckart Gonna, suceeded him as the CEO in the company.

In 1958 Fritz von der Gonna died. And in 1959 the government controlled a 30% share of the company.

In 1972 Certo Camera-Werk was nationalized and under the control of the East German state (FDA)

in 1980, Certo became part of the VEB Pentacon conglomerate and began a quick decline.

By 1982 the Certo name was no longer used.


CLICK HERE for a list of Certo Cameras

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2012-07-13 20:13:17