Barometers Realm

Gotthilf Lufft (1848–1921) was a German optician and entrepreneur who, in 1872, acquired the well-established optical shop S.F. Trostel at Eberhardstraße 37 in Stuttgart and began producing the first aneroid capsules, originally invented in 1854 by Lucien Vidie.

In 1881, Lufft founded the company Mech. Werkstatt G. Lufft in Stuttgart. The company specialized in the production of aneroid barometers, hygrometers, and other meteorological instruments.

In 1891, the company relocated to a new address at Katharinenstraße 4 and simultaneously built a new factory at Weinsteige 22, which became the firm’s new headquarters.

Together with the Nagel brothers, Lufft co-founded Contessa-Camera-Werke. This company merged in 1926 with C.P. Goerz and eight other camera manufacturers to form the renowned ZEISS-IKON AG.

After Gotthilf Lufft’s death in 1921, the company was taken over by his son-in-law, Richard Möller-Lufft.

In 1925, with the aim of entering the French market, the Paris-based company E. Hüe, known for its wide range of barometers, was acquired. However, in 1939, with the outbreak of World War II, exports ceased and the company was sold.

In 1932, Lufft began producing bimetallic thermometers, which were less fragile and easier to use than traditional mercury-based instruments. After World War II, under the leadership of Erich Möller-Lufft, the company focused on manufacturing meteorological instruments for private and industrial clients.

In 1986, the production of mechanical aneroid barometers was permanently discontinued.

In 2016, Lufft became part of the OTT Hydromet Group, expanding its capabilities in meteorological measurement.

Today, G. Lufft Mess- und Regeltechnik GmbH, located in Fellbach near Stuttgart, continues to develop and produce professional components and systems for measuring climate and environmental parameters, maintaining high standards of quality and precision.