History

The institute was opened in 1922 under the direction of Prof. J. Teichmüller and was thus one of the first light engineering institutes in the world. The history of its establishment is compiled on the pages of the KIT Archives.

Important events in the history of the LTI:

From history

In the beginning, the LTI was located in the main building of the TH on Kaiserstrasse.
Since its foundation, the floor space available to the LTI has increased tenfold.
As early as 1928, a light hall was built, which accommodated a permanent demonstration of light-technical devices and experiments.
During World War II, the institute was housed in the basement of the former Höpfner brewery.
The first diploma thesis at the LTI was written in 1922 by L. Schneider on the subject of „Kritischer Vergleich der zur Projektierung von Beleuchtungsanlagen  vorgeschlagenen und gebräuchlichen Verfahren“ (Critical Comparison of the Methods Proposed and Commonly Used for the Design of Lighting Systems). In 1924, O. Schneider published the first dissertation at LTI under the title "Die Ermüdung des Auges durch farbiges Licht" (Eye fatigue caused by colored light).