In 1990, he re-established a watch brand that had been shut for 40 years
Walter Lange, who in his 60s rebuilt the long-shuttered watch brand A. Lange & Söhne, died on Jan. 17. He was 92.
Founded in 1845 by Walter’s great-grandfather Ferdinand Adolph Lange, the watchmaker was expropriated in 1948 by the East German government. But in 1990, a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Lange, then 66, led a team that brought the watch back to life. In 2000, the brand was acquired by the Richemont Group.
After his retirement, Lange remained with the brand as an ambassador.
For his work, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony in 1998 and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2015.
(Photo courtesy of A. Lange and Söhne)
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