Kiev II 1948 Pre-Series

After the end of World War II in 1945, Germany had to pay war reparations according to the peace agreement. Among many well known German products, the Russians demanded the famous Zeiss Contax II and Contax III cameras as war reparations. Before the war, Contax cameras were made by Zeiss Ikon AG in Dresden, the capital of the German camera industry - now in the Russian zone of the occupied Germany. Paying reparation of war is of cause not a voluntarily act - but it is perfectly legal. The Russians wanted everything, but the name - and they got everything, but the name. Because of the destruction in Dresden in the famous mass allied bombing attack of February 1945, Zeiss Ikon had little capability in carrying through any camera project at the war's end. The Soviet armed forces dismantled the company of all functioning Contax production equipment and spare parts soon after occupying the city of Dresden. The offered camera is in very very good condition with matching Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 2/5cm T no.3050529 and Carl Zeiss Jena aluminium lens cap. Furthermore this camera comes from a known Swedish collector. Jerry Drews.