In more than 150 years of corporate history, the small precision mechanical business Feinmechanische Werkstatt F. Sartorius has evolved into a leading international life science group. Today, Sartorius operates in more than 110 countries with around 11,000 employees. This independent, source-based study by Hartmut Berghoff, Christian Kleinschmidt, Luitgard Marschall and Stephan H. Lindner traces the ups and downs of the Göttingen-based company in an exciting and knowledgeable way and introduces its technological developments.