The Story of Optique Moitzheim

Over 130 years of experience in the optician/optometrist profession

From 2019: A century-old house looking to the future

May 2019,
Optique Moitzheim moves into the Cloche d'Or shopping center in Gasperich. This opening symbolizes the company's desire to remain close to its customers and keep pace with urban and commercial developments.

In 2023, the company proudly celebrates its 130th anniversary. An exceptional anniversary, a testament to the know-how that has been passed down with passion for four generations.

In recent years, the company has refocused its activities around its three strategic sales outlets:

  • The historic store at 8, rue Philippe II, in the heart of Luxembourg City

  • The City Concorde store, Bertrange

  • The Belair store, close to the town center

2000 - 2019: Modernization and innovation

In June 2006,
after a temporary move, the iconic store on Rue Philippe II reopened its doors completely renovated.

In 2008, Optique Moitzheim opened a new store in the renovated wing of the City Concorde building.

Always at the cutting edge of technology, the company began offering innovative i.Scription lenses from Zeiss in 2009. A new boutique is also opened on the Kirchberg plateau.

1988 - 2000: Reconstruction, growth and diversification

At the beginning of 1989,
the interior of the Rue Philippe II store was refurbished. It was a great success... except on a technical level. A short circuit in the electrical installation caused a fire in the middle of the day on August 29, 1989.

In a remarkable feat of strength, and with the exemplary support of the entire staff, a temporary solution was found in just a few days on the second floor of the house. After 4 difficult months, a new store opened its doors, and things were back to business as usual.

In May 1995, a 3rd store opened at City Concorde.

In July 1997, Optique Moitzheim opened its Belair andEsch-sur-Alzette branches, following the takeover of a colleague.

1975 - 1988: A fourth generation and new horizons

In 1975,
Mr Jacques Moitzheim joined his father after studying to be an optician-optometrist. The company is renamed Optique Moitzheim and specializes fully in optics. The store on Rue Philippe II was completely refurbished, with a fitting workshop, contact lenses and modern measuring equipment.
The medical and photo equipment department was transferred to new premises on the Altmünster plateau under the name Moitzheim Instrumed.

In 1986, the company expanded with its first subsidiary in Differdange, marking the start of a national expansion strategy.

 

1945 - 1975: The rise of optics

After the 2nd World War,
Mr Nic Moitzheim's son, Mr Jeff Moitzheim, joined the company in 1946 and Mr Joseph Moitzheim retired from the business.

A visionary, he steered the business towards modern optics. In 1960, the store was completely renovated by architect Robert Lentz, with a striking innovation: customers could now sit down to choose their eyewear.

This was also the era of the first scleral contact lenses, Varilux lenses, Ray-Ban sunglasses and the arrival of designer collections such as Christian Dior: eyewear became a matter of style.

1930 - 1945: First steps in optics

On April 27, 1933,
the Moitzheim company moved to 8, rue Philippe II, a landmark acquisition at the time. The company became the exclusive representative in Luxembourg of Ernst Leitz, a renowned manufacturer of microscopes and optical instruments.

At the time, the only eyewear available was frames with lenses already fitted into the frame by the manufacturer. Optics gradually gained in importance: the first workshop to assemble made-to-measure eyewear in the Grand Duchy was set up in the late 30s. Moitzheim became a pioneer in a field that was still in its infancy in Luxembourg. 

1892 - 1930: The beginnings of a family home

On November 18, 1892,
Mr. Joseph Moitzheim published an advertisement in the Letzebuerger Zeitung newspaper, announcing the takeover of the Oberhoffer cutlery business at 1, avenue de l'Arsenal, Luxembourg.

Building on the experience he had acquired in Strasbourg, he developed a business focused on medical equipment, specialized cutlery and an orthopedic workshop.

Two years later, he moved his store to 18, Grand-Rue, and the Moitzheim company quickly gained in notoriety. The company's customers included such prestigious hospitals as those attached to the medical faculties of Nancy and Liège, where a branch was set up. A surgical instrument workshop was set up in Hollerich, employing up to thirty workers.

In 1927, his son
, Mr Nic Moitzheim, joined the family business, marking the beginning of an intergenerational transmission that continues to this day.