50 Years of the Leica Galerie: An Evening in Wetzlar

Leica invited us to Wetzlar to celebrate the anniversary of the Leica Galerie. Fifty works by fifty photographers, two songs from the in-house ensemble and a new camera we packed up twice.

[k]eine produktion at the Leitz-Park, Wetzlar July 24, 2026 Exhibition

Inside the curve of the Leica Galerie

I. Invited to Wetzlar

Leica Camera AG invited us to Wetzlar to celebrate the anniversary of the Leica Galerie. Fifty years, and the party happens where the cameras come from. The Leitz-Park is a small company campus in its own right, a round building with the red dot up on its edge, and across from it the hall marked Leitz CINE.

Round building of the Leitz-Park with a red Leica dot on its upper edge, blue sky above — The Leitz-Park in Wetzlar

Low building at the Leitz-Park with a red Leica dot and the words Leitz CINE on the facade, blue sky above — Leitz CINE, across from the gallery

II. Fifty works, fifty ways of looking

Inside, the welcome screen was already pointing to the next chapter of the SL system, so this evening was not only about looking back. The exhibition was built as an immersive space. Fifty works by fifty photographers, spread across the white curve of the gallery. You do not walk past a row of pictures there, you walk among them, and the wall keeps coming back at you from the other side. For an anniversary that is the more honest form: not the history of the company, but fifty people who worked with their cameras.

Screen reading „Herzlich willkommen. Zum nächsten Kapitel des SL-Systems“ in a darkened exhibition room — The cue for the evening

Person raising a Leica camera to their eye, taking a photo along the gallery walkway — Along the walkway

III. Speeches, singing and a new camera

The evening was carried by the speeches from Karin Rehn-Kaufmann and Dr Andreas Kaufmann, warm and informative, in front of a wall reading “Das Wesentliche”. Then came something no running order could have prepared us for. The in-house singing ensemble of Leica Camera AG, made up of staff from the company, sang two songs. A camera manufacturer with its own choir, and the choir was good.

On stage in the gallery

Two men sitting in front of a glass wall with open countryside behind it — By the window

The new SL3-P was presented that evening too. We had one packed up right away, and in fact two, to shoot with them at our own event “Servus München” at the Bavaria Studios. An evening in Wetzlar that was visible in Munich two weeks later. Thanks to Paul Körfer for organising the cameras.

IV. Thank you

The evening ended with a dinner, among others with CEO Falk Friedrich and Senior Marketing Manager Nicolas Herrlich, together with Johannes Fielers, Lino Kalkhoff and Jakob Hermann Hähner. Thanks to Leica Camera AG for the invitation. Being in Wetzlar was a treat once again.

Small group at a bar table, one person showing something on a display — At the bar table

Two men sitting in conversation on a covered terrace — The conversation moved outside

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