The builder Ing. Emanuel Lang, together with the Bedřichov builder Johann Schindler (born 26. 6. 1890 Měšín, Jihlava district), probably the most prominent local German designer in the interwar period, was born on 29. 8. 1887 into the family of Johann Lang (born 10. 4. 1854 Jihlava, died 15. 1. 1933 Jihlava), a foreman in the spinning factory in Staré Hory, later a bank sub-officer in the Jihlava branch of the Agricultural Credit Bank for Bohemia (Der Landwirtschaftlichen Creditbank für Böhmen), and Josefina, née Schulz (born 10. 3. 1858 Jihlava, died 10. 9. 1942 Jihlava). He had four siblings; sisters Josefa (born 9. 3. 1889 Jihlava, married name Patzelt) and Anna (born 18. 6. 1891 Jihlava, married name Killar) and brothers Oswald (born 4. 6. 1893 Jihlava) and Friedrich (born 12. 2. 1899 Jihlava). In the early 1920s, both brothers chose Austria, where both their sisters also lived. The family first lived at Řeznická 85 (Fleischhackergasse) (now Havířská 31), then from mid-1894 at Řeznická 40 (now Čajkovského 40), and in mid-1905 they moved to the Schiller House (Schillergasse, now Benešova 9). From 1926–1932, his parents lived in a house at Žižkova 7, then in the now lost house at Žižkova 28, bought by Emanuel Lang. From the second half of the 1920s, he probably lived alone at Žižkova 4; he also gave this address as the headquarters of his company.
Emanuel Lang studied at the German Secondary State Technical School (Vyšší německá státní průmyslová škola) in Brno from 1902–1906, learned bricklaying, and after completing the practice required by law, he passed the builder's exam. In the war years from 1915–1918, he served in the military, from which he was discharged as a lieutenant. By the decree of the Moravian Vicegerency in Brno of 10 August 1919, he obtained a building permit with a site in Jihlava, Schillerova 9. He probably moved his company headquarters to Žižkova 4 in 1926, and at the end of the 1930s, to Masarykovo Square 4. He was a co-owner of the brickworks in Horní Kosov and had a one-third share in the Mühlhansel woodworking company in Třešť. During the First Republic, he taught technical and professional drawing at the German Advanced Training School.
On 19. 6. 1934 in Brno in the church of St. Jacob (kostel sv. Jakuba), he married Hedvika, née Otta (born 10. 3. 1903 Jihlava), daughter of the notary JUDrCamillo Otta (born 5. 2. 1857 Jevíčko, died 20. 2. 1937 Jihlava), in whose house on Masarykovo Square 4 the Langs lived after their marriage. Their three sons were born there – Otto (31. 12. 1936), Helmuth (26. 2. 1939), and Klaus (24. 11. 1943).
Most likely in 1939, Ing. Emanuel Lang joined the master bricklayers Hans Leupold von Löwenthal and Gottfried Miksch and the builders Franz Biedermann and Rudolf Schrammel in forming a consortium. After Biedermann's and Schrammel's withdrawal in 1941, the following year, the remaining three partners entered into a new contract. The consortium was called “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ing. Emanuel Lang, Hans Leupold von Löwenthal und Gottfried Miksche, Bauunternehmung, Iglau“. It was based in rented premises on Graben Street (Příkopy, now Fibichova Street 12). On 12. 5. 1942, the Regional Court in Třebíč registered the new consortium as a public company. During the wartime construction crisis, it won important military and state contracts in Jihlava and on the Protectorate’s territory, as well as in Brandenburg, Germany, and Kapfenberg, Austria. The company’s projects included, for example, large high-rise concrete and reinforced concrete buildings for the air force in Hradec Králové and Plzeň, a shooting range in Rančířov near Jihlava, reconstruction of barracks, construction of roads, sewerage and military training grounds in the barracks in Jihlava, sewerage construction for the city of Jihlava, residential houses for building and housing cooperatives in Jihlava, a youth dormitory in Jihlava (later Adolf Hitler Schule, Březinovy sady 12) and in Stonařov (no. 192), the road from the centre of Jihlava to Heulos, foundation works for the boiler house in Jihlava Hospital, houses for the rural service (Landdienstheime) including wells in the vicinity of Jihlava and other constructions.
In 1943, "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ing. Emanuel Lang, Hans Leupold von Löwenthal und Gottfried Miksche, Bauunternehmung, Iglau" was put aside due to the entry of Hans Leupold von Löwenthal and Gottfried Miksche into the Wehrmacht, and on 30. 10. 1944, it was deleted from the Commercial Register. Emanuel Lang, however, continued to operate under its name. After the war, the assets of Emanuel Lang's company and the consortium were confiscated by the state and both entities were placed under national administration.
Emanuel Lang apparently did not engage publicly or politically during the First Republic or during the war. However, he adroitly made use of the occupation of Czechoslovakia and the war events for his business. The construction consortia established on his initiative won lucrative war contracts. He met his fate in that. After the liberation, he was arrested and imprisoned. On 6 June 1945, together with other nineteen Germans and collaborators, he was sentenced to death by the “partisan court” and shot dead the following day in the field shooting range near Rančířov, built by him during the war.
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