Companies run by foundations are considered to be an opaque form of enterprise. By examining the Carl Zeiss Optical Workshop from 1889 to 1993, the present work succeeds in providing a rare historical view into this black box: With no individual owner, Zeiss did not follow short-term profit interests, but instead focused on sustainable development that benefited both the company and the public.

Johanna Steinfeld, Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/M.