Ploessl, Georg Simon (1794-1868)
Simon Ploessl was born in 1794 in Wieden, in the vicinity of Vienna. He learned the art of woodworking by his father, a cabinet maker and in 1812 he began working at Voigtländer, one of the oldest optical product firms (established in Vienna in 1756 by Johann Christoph Voigtländer). He studied mathematics and optics and founded his own optic laboratory in 1823 at his father's house, at Freundgasse in Vienna. In 1845 36 skilled workmen were under his employment at his laboratory at 215 Feldgasse Street.
He specialized in microscopes, he began however the construction of telescopes with Fraunhofer - type achromatic lenses. He produced refracting telescopes with diameters ranging between 6 to 8 inches for the observatories in Athens, Iasi in Romania and Biczke in Hungary. The biggest telescope he manufactured (in 1850) was 10.5 inches in diameter.
He died in 1868 following a severe glass injury that took place at his laboratory.