This Trophy 1m Schmidt Telescope Was Hitler's Gift to Mussolini

In 1938, Adolf Hitler visited Italy to meet Benito Mussolini. During the visit, Mussolini took Hitler to several Italian observatories, proudly highlighting that Italy had numerous observatories and enjoyed more clear days compared to rainy Germany. Surprised and perhaps a bit challenged, Hitler reportedly responded, “I will show you who makes the best telescopes in the world, and I will even gift you one!”

Upon his return to Germany, Hitler commissioned the production of a one-meter Schmidt telescope at the Carl Zeiss factory, renowned for its precision optics. This telescope, which up to these days remains one of the largest of its kind, was under construction when World War II broke out, delaying its completion. After the war, Soviet troops seized the telescope as a trophy during the occupation of Germany.

Here is a brief historical overview of how the trophy seizures occurred after the Allied forces won the war.

After World War II, both the Allied and Soviet forces (The Soviet Union was indeed one of the Allied powers during World War II, aligning with the United States, the United Kingdom, and others to defeat the Axis powers. However, when discussing postwar efforts like the exploitation of German science and technology, it often makes sense to separate the Soviet actions from those of the Western Allies. This is because their methods, objectives, and geopolitical contexts were quite different.) actively sought to extract German scientific knowledge and technology. This effort was one of the largest technological transfers in history, targeting advancements in fields like aerospace, atomic energy, chemical engineering, and more.

Allied Efforts:

The U.S., through initiatives like Operation Paperclip, relocated over 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians to the United States, including Wernher von Braun, who later played a key role in NASA's space program.

The British and French also targeted German expertise, often focusing on "in-place" exploitation by incorporating German scientists into their own programs or allowing them to assist with rebuilding academic and industrial sectors in Allied-occupied zones​

Soviet Strategy:

The Soviets used "trophy brigades" to seize machinery, documentation, and entire scientific teams from Germany. For example, they relocated entire factories and laboratories, along with their personnel, to the Soviet Union to bolster their own technological development.

Teams under the NKVD were tasked with identifying and transferring scientists and equipment related to nuclear and missile technologies​. They required specialists capable of deciphering documents, assessing the significance of complex machinery, and tackling intricate tasks.

No surprise, that in 1948, the renowned Armenian astrophysicist Viktor Hambardzumyan also visited Germany, including the Carl Zeiss factory where several unfinished telescopes were stored. These telescopes were later transferred to the LOMO (Leningrad Optical-Mechanical Association) in Leningrad for final adjustments and assembly.

Among them was the 1m Schmidt telescope, a gift from Hitler to Mussolini, which, however, had a different fate and was eventually destined to be installed at the Byurakan Observatory in Armenia.

By the late 1950s, preparations were underway to transport the telescope to Armenia. Due to its delicate optics, it could not be transported by plane, as even the slightest shock could damage its components. Instead, it was carefully transported by truck at a speed of no more than 15 km/h.

The telescope was installed and began operations in 1960, but the official inauguration took place on May 8, 1961. This grand opening was attended by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev during his visit to Armenia—a rare instance of a national leader participating in the unveiling of a scientific instrument.

Benjamin Markarian and the iconic 1m Schmidt telescope

In 1965, Benjamin Markarian conducted the First Byurakan Survey (FBS) using the 1-meter Schmidt telescope. As a result of these observations, he discovered a large number of faint galaxies (ranging from 13th to 17th magnitude) that belong to a special class with an excess of radiation in the ultraviolet spectrum. These galaxies were subsequently named Markarian galaxies in his honor.

The December 2021 issue of the French magazine Le Mouvement tells the story of the glorious past of the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, reflecting on Margaryan's galaxies, the history of the 1m Schmidt telescope, as well as talking about the current activities of the facility and young staff. The back cover features the 1m Schmidt telescope with BAO lead engineer Henrik Sargsyan sitting beneath it

The continuation of the FBS is the Second Byurakan Survey (SBS), also carried out with the 1-meter Schmidt telescope. A total of approximately 3,000 peculiar objects were discovered, including about 1,600 stellar objects and 1,400 non-stellar objects. The SBS is one of the most effective surveys for discovering bright quasars (QSOs). Since 1969, more than 500 flare stars have been discovered, and detailed colorimetric studies of bright galaxies were also performed.

In 2011, the First Byurakan Survey (FBS or Markarian survey, Armenia), containing the records of a unique astronomical survey carried out by the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO) from 1965-1980 were added to UNESCO’s “Memory of the World Register”. It represents the largest-ever astronomical exploration of the nearby universe and is considered one of the most important achievements in 20th-century astrophysics.

In 1991, the 1m Schmidt telescope was stopped and since then no observations have been carried out. Recently, a project for reconstruction of this telescope was put forward in collaboration with the Russian Special Astrophysical Observatory (SAO), including equipping it with a contemporary detector and advanced controlling system.