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Das Klavier von Ernst Lang

The Lang family

Since the middle of the 19th century the family of Raphael Moses Lang (comes from Walldorf) can be proven. He was married to Rega Elsbach. Rega Elsbach received permission to establish a trading post or a shop in Altenbreitungen in house no. 84.

David Lang (born 1829 - March 30, 1907 in Altenbreitungen), married Sophie Goldmann (born 1836 in Bad Neuhaus - October 20, 1917 in Altenbreitungen) was the son of Raphael Moses Lang.

The following children of the family are known: Recha, Rudolf,Hermann, Sigmund (born 1872), Lina, Markus and Karl.

Der Lageplan zum Haus Nr. 84 in Altenbreitungen

Photo: Site plan Altenbreitungen, house no. 84

Geschäftshaus des David Lang in Altenbreitungen

Photo: David Lang's office building in Altenbreitungen


The family tree of the Lang family

Der Stammbaum der Familie Lang

Recha Lang was born on September 19, 1866 in Altenbreitungen. She married Adolf Wilhelm Königsberger, who was born on February 7, 1854 in Brätz/Posen. Until 1939 they operated their menswear shop at Markt 39 (Cahn, Moritz - successor/owner Wilhelm Königsberger), afterwards they moved to Kastanienweg 3b.

. Werbeanzeige

Photo: Advertisement

Das Konfektionsgeschäft am Markt 39 in Eisleben

Photo: Eisleben, Markt 39: Ready-made clothing shop (M. Cahn Nachf.; owner Wilhelm Königsberger)


Her last address was the Jewish retirement home at Boelckestraße 24 in Halle/Saale since December 1, 1941. Recha was deported from Halle on September 19, 1942 and transported: Leipzig XVI/I, to the Theresienstadt concentration camp on September 20, 1942. Here she died on 25 February 1943, Wilhelm already on 10 October 1942.

Their children are Dr. jur. Ludwig Königsberger and Klara Königsberger.

Ludwig (born March 27, 1891 in Eisleben) married Jenny Eckstein (born 1895 in Berlin, father: Julius Eckstein (1856 - 1907), mother: Paula). They also lived in Eisleben, Markt 39. Both were deported with their daughter Marietta Königsberger (born 1925) on June 1, 1942 from Kassel-Halle to the extermination camp Sobibor, where they died on June 3, 1942.

Ein Bild von Recha Lang

Photo: Recha Lang

Ein Bild von Ludwig Koenigsberger

Photo: Ludwig Königsberger (1914 - 1918 Active participant of the 1st WW, wounded and bearer of the Iron Cross 1st class)

Ein Bild von Jenny Eckstein

Photo: Jenny Eckstein

Ein Bild von Marietta Koenigsberger

Photo: Marietta Königsberger


Placing stumbling blocks

2008: On November 22, the artist Gunter Demnig lays three stumbling blocks in memory of Ludwig, Jenny and Marietta Königsberger in front of the house Mark 39 in Eisleben.

Verlegung von Stolpersteinen zum Gedenken

Photo: Stumbling block

Der Stolperstein für Dr. Ludwig Koenigsberger

Photo: Stumbling block for Dr. Ludwig Königsberger

Der Stolperstein für Marietta Koenigsberger

Photo: Stumbling block for Marietta Königsberger

Der Stolperstein für Jenny Koenigsberger

Photo: Stumbling block for Jenny Königsberger


Klara (born December 13, 1892 in Eisleben) married Louis Karfiol (born February 20, 1884 in Hamburg), they lived in Berlin/Schöneberg. Klara and Louis were deported to the Litzmannstadt ghetto (Lodz) on 18 October 1941, where he died on 25 February 1942. Klara was deported on 04 May 1942 to the extermination camp Kulmhof (Chelmno), where she died on 08 May 1942.


Hermann Lang, born on April 9, 1870 in Altenbreitungen, worked as a merchant in Schleusingen since April 10, 1895, since his brother Rudolf Lang already ran a business there (bought by Caroline Nordheimer, née Levy from Erfurt, since 1888), which he took over. Rudolf Lang (born 30.6.1859) - son of David Lang from Altenbreitungen - marries on 10.4.1889 Anna Blau (born 3.6.1868), daughter of the factory owner Eduard Blau from Schleusingen in Unterneubrunn. Apparently they had no children, so Hermann and his wife Klara took over the business. Klara Lang, née Oppenheimer, born on 16 June 1873 in Poppenlauer/Neustadt a. S., moved to Schleusingen on 27 April 1895. They ran a manufactory and ready-made clothing store in Bertholdstr. 22, which they had to close on September 30, 1938. Hermann and Klara Lang were transported from Weimar to the Theresienstadt concentration camp on 19 September 1942. Hermann Lang died there on 16 November 1942 and Klara Lang on 7 January 1943.

Hermann Lang mit Enkel Ernst auf dem Arm

Photo: Hermann Lang with grandson Ernst on his arm, 1931

Schleusinger Schützengilde mit Hermann Lang

Photo: Schleusinger Schützengilde with Hermann Lang (second row, second from right)

Schützenkönig Hermann Lang

Photo: Award as the shooting champion by Hermann Lang

Geschäft von Rudolf Lang in Schleusingen

Photo: Rudolf Lang's shop in Schleusingen, Langen Gasse (later Bertholdstraße 22)


The house in Langen Gasse No. 141

The house of the Lang family has a turbulent history. Property and decay can be read on the following page.

The house in Langen Gasse No. 141

The sister of Hermann Lang, Lina Baldwine Lang, born on 1 February 1874 in Breitungen, moved from Eisleben to Schleusingen on 1 August 1931. On August 23, 1939 she moved to her other brother in Dresden, but returned to Schleusingen on May 4, 1940, as her brother had emigrated. She was also brought from Weimar via Leipzig to the Theresienstadt concentration camp on 19 September 1942, where she died on 5 October 1942.

The son of Hermann and Klara Lang, Harry Lang, born on 9 February 1896 in Schleusingen, was arrested together with Gustav Götz and the non-Jewish employee of the Götz family, Ernst Kühner, under the pretext of high treason and taken to the Buchenwald concentration camp and then to the Dachau concentration camp. After his release on 2 July 1939, Harry Lang left Germany and arrived in Shanghai. His wife Ilse Lang, née Krause, born on 29 March 1906 in Neustadt/OS moved with her son Ernst Lothar Lang, born on 19 March 1931 in Suhl, to Neustadt/OS on 10 September 1935. After Ilse's parents in Neustadt had chosen suicide after their expropriation, she wanted to emigrate to the USA with Ernst. Since they had neither identity cards nor a visa for the USA, they chose Shanghai, where mother and son lived until the end of the war. Only in 1948 could they enter the USA, where they found Harry Lang by chance in Chicago.

Vermählungsanzeige von Harry und Ilse Lang

Photo: Wedding announcement of Harry and Ilse Lang, Henneberger Kreisblatt from 5.11.1927

Eintrag ins Handelsregister von Harry Lang

Photo: Entry in the commercial register of Harry Lang, Henneberger Kreisblatt from 25.02.1928


Experiences of Ernst Lang

Ernst describes the experiences of Ernst L. Lang personally in a letter to Kerstin Möhring. Excerpts can be read on the following page.

A letter from Ernst L. Lang

Ein Portrait von Harry Lang

Photo: A portrait of Harry Lang

Harry Lang mit seiner Frau Ilse in Chicago

Photo: Harry Lang with his wife Ilse in Chicago, late 1940s

Ilse mit Sohn Ernst auf dem Weg nach Shanghai

Photo: Ilse with son Ernst on the way to Shanghai


The wish of Ernst Lang

Ernst spoke vividly about the family piano that is said to have stood in the living room of the Bertholdstraße house. The question is where the piano - if it survived the war - could be.

The wish of Ernst Lang

Markus Lang was born on 06. August 1877 in Altenbreitungen. He lived with his family in Perleberg. As a World War II participant he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st class. As a merchant, he first ran a short and small goods shop on the Great Market Square. Later he opened a shop for lingerie at Hohe Ende 4. During the Reichspogromnacht 1938, the family's apartment was destroyed. The National Socialists pulled Markus Lang out of the apartment and drove him through the alleys to Stepenitz. There he was pushed into the icy water. On April 14, 1942, he was deported from Berlin to the Warsaw Ghetto, where he also died. His date of death is not known. In 2007 a stumbling block was laid in Perleberg, Am Hohen Ende 4, in memory of him.

Karl Lang was born on 07. October 1879 in Altenbreitungen. He passed his Abitur at the Schleusinger Gymnasium. Before and during the 2nd World War he lived in Berlin. At the age of 64 he was deported to the Auschwitz extermination camp in 1943. Here he died on January 22, 1943.

Ein Bild von Karl Lang

Photo: Karl Lang