Lang, Friedrich August

Lawyer, politician

Born: 14.07.1822 in Langenschwalbach

died: 22.11.1866 in Wiesbaden

Lang studied law in Marburg and Göttingen. During his studies, he met Karl Braun, with whom he formed a lifelong friendship. After passing his state examination in 1844, he worked as a lawyer in the office of Jacob Ludwig Philipp August Franz Hergenhahn. In 1846, he obtained a position as an official procurator in Langenschwalbach. In 1849, he moved to Wiesbaden, where he initially worked as a lawyer at the judicial office and from 1859 at the court. Even while working for Hergenhahn, he was concerned with political issues. While Hergenhahn advocated ideas of a constitutional monarchy, Lang was republican-minded. As early as 1846, Lang worked on the journal "Deutscher Zuschauer", in which he advocated revolutionary ideas.

In 1848, he was the leading figure in the "Revolutionslandtag" and was a member of the Frankfurt pre-parliament. From 1848-66, Lang represented his liberal ideas as a member of parliament in several terms of the Nassau state parliament; from 1848-51 in the Nastätten/Langenschwalbach constituency. From 1858-60 he was a member of the First Chamber, then from 1861-66 he represented the Wiesbaden constituency in the Second Chamber. After his election in November 1863, Lang. applied for the restoration of the liberal constitution of 28.12.1849. Alongside Braun, he was a founding member of the Nassau Progressive Party in 1863. In 1866, he resolutely opposed the mobilization of the Nassau army without the consent of parliament. His tomb in the North Cemetery was crowned with a Nassovia, a work by the Wiesbaden sculptor Hermann Schies.