This 35 mm viewfinder camera was one of the foremost design concepts to emerge from East Germany. VEB Carl Zeiss Jena was awarded a prize at the 1957 Leipzig Fair for the Werra’s clear, consistent form. Indeed, some of the pioneering features of the Werra, which was produced until the 1960s, proved influential on the development of cameras in West Germany by Rollei and Agfa, including for the Optima series. These companies also borrowed the idea of basing their designs on the golden ratio. One characteristic feature of the camera was its formal reduction. Only the shutter release button was on top of the body; all the other controls were on the bottom. In addition, the camera differed from others in that the film was advanced and rewound by means of a rotating ring on the lens mount – a unique mechanism that made it easy to use. In addition, the lens cap doubled up as a lens hood by screwing it on upside down. The Werra was the only camera to be made by Carl Zeiss. Initially sold lined with olive-colored artificial leather, later versions also came in black, a more typical color for cameras. With its simple yet effective sophistication, the Werra is still held in high regard today. Its design attests to the high quality of product design in the former German Democratic Republic.