“I Was the Bridge to Our History” an interview with Walter Lange

“I Was the Bridge to Our History” an interview with Walter Lange

other languages: de

Walter Lange

Glashütte, 29 July 2009

On his 85th birthday Walter Lange, founder of Lange Uhren GmbH, looks back on his life's work in conversation with journalist Christoph Scheuring.

Is your 85th birthday an opportunity for you to take stock?
To be honest, my whole life long I’ve lived as if I was going to go on forever. So I see no reason to take stock at this time.

But no-one lives forever.
Of course, that's right. However, there’s no sense in darkening life by brooding on your own mortality.

So what do you do instead?

I enjoy my life. Amongst other things, I travel a lot, for instance to the Salzburg Festival.

Walter Lange and his Mercedes 280 SL „Pagode“

Also, a year and a half ago I fulfilled a long-held dream and bought a 1971 Mercedes

280 SL “Pagoda”, which I have already driven to Lake Maggiore and Glashütte.

Do you still remember the first watch you ever had?
My first watch wasn't from Lange, it was a Cyma from Switzerland. It wasn’t until my Confirmation that my uncle gave me an O.L.I.W. (Note: Original Lange International Movement). O.L.I.W. was the less expensive line at A. Lange & Söhne.

Do you remember the Great Crash of 1929?
Even in Glashütte there were clear signs of the Depression. I remember the many unemployed people who used to congregate opposite our head office. The worst fear of my parents was that they might be forced to lay off people. We therefore asked our watchmakers to come into the manufactory at least for a few hours even when there was not much work for them.

Has this period shaped your view of business in any way?
It not only shaped me. The re-establishment of our manufactory would have taken a somewhat different course without this experience.

Can you explain that in a bit more detail?
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it wasn’t just a case of wanting to revive the name of A. Lange & Söhne. Above all, I wanted to provide the people of Glashütte with hope for the future.