Founded in Wolfen in 1909 as part of AGFA, ORWO (an abbreviation of ORiginal WOlfen) has been synonymous with photographic and cinematic film for over a century. In 1936, the Wolfen plant developed the world’s first modern color film (Agfacolor), a full year before Kodak released Kodachrome. Throughout the mid-20th century, ORWO emerged as East Germany’s flagship film producer—and a major exporter to Russia, Poland, India, Southeast Asia, and other global markets. Renowned for its black-and-white films and technological breakthroughs, the division of Germany after WWII saw the Wolfen factory continue under the ORWO name, supplying much of the Eastern Bloc’s photographic film needs.

Over the decades, ORWO accumulated numerous patents and innovation awards, even earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records for its technical achievements. Film manufacturing at the Wolfen site has been a continuous tradition since 1910, making ORWO one of the longest-running names in analog film. While the ORWO corporate entity underwent restructurings in the 1990s, the brand’s core expertise lived on—carried by successor companies and now resurrected under the ORWO Family. In 2020, the film coating firm Inoviscoat (with its AGFA heritage) merged with ORWO’s film production arm (Filmotec GmbH) under common ownership, reuniting historic emulsions and know-how under the ORWO banner.

This careful stewardship of analog film IP means today’s ORWO can proudly claim a 116+ year lineage of film R&D and quality, even as the organization itself has evolved. We acknowledge this unique history openly: ORWO Family stands on the shoulders of its predecessors, combining the legacy of AGFA Wolfen and original ORWO with a modern corporate structure.

"Supplying archival film to the U.S. Library of Congress, MoMA, and the Smithsonian isn’t just a privilege—it’s a testament to the enduring quality of ORWO’s legacy and chemistry."

Notably, ORWO’s expertise in archival and specialty films remains highly respected worldwide. Our black-and-white cinema films and archival stock are trusted by institutions seeking permanence and fidelity. This deep root in film technology forms the bedrock of ORWO’s credibility as we expand into new ventures.