Leica is a brand of camera manufactured by German company named the same, Leica. Historically, companies that produce these cameras formerly Optische Institute von Ernst Leitz of Wetzlar or Leitz Wetzlar Factory Optics and founded in 1869 specifically to manufacture microscopes.
In 1911, a photographer and optician named Oskar Barnak working in the company and managed to make the first portable camera Leica became the beginning of making a 35mm camera. In 1912, Max Berek also joined the company and found the Leica lens system.
Products the company launched the first camera is called Ur-Leica, where Ur is original or prototype of abbreviations Leitz and Leica Camera. In 1924, Oskar Barnak convinced Ernst Leitz II, owner of the Leica in-law at the time, to produce a 35mm camera design result.