The Leica, a 35 mm camera developed by Leitz's collaborator Oskar Barnack with the interchangeable lenses of Max Berek [de] was distributed worldwide from 1925.

[1] While Jews were becoming economically and socially marginalised by the Nazi regime in the mid-1930s, Leitz offered lengthy apprenticeships and training programmes at his factory to Jewish people.

German hyperinflation and the lack of interest on the part of the photographic trade in converting to the new technology hampered the market launch.

Through his moral courage and his willingness to take risks (opening up a new market), Leitz laid the foundation for Leica's success.

"[6] For the new rulers, therefore, Leitz was an entrepreneur whose "politically unobjectionable attitude" did not guarantee that his company would be managed in accordance with their conception of the state.

[7] Although Leitz enjoyed great public prestige as the manufacturer of the Leica, which was also used for propaganda purposes, he was particularly at risk from his political beliefs and his opposition to the proposed war.

[8] Within days of Adolf Hitler coming to power in 1933, Leitz began undertaking humanitarian efforts for those in the city of Wetzlar negatively affected by the Nazi regime like Jews.

[11] He employed endangered Wetzlar Jews in his company immediately after the seizure of power and provided many of them with money and letters of recommendation to emigrate, especially to the USA.

As early as 1938, the sales manager of Leitz company, Alfred Türk, was arrested for sending letters of recommendation to the New York branch for Jewish emigrants.