Erich Lackner
Encyclopedia
Erich Friedrich Michael Lackner (born May 13, 1913 in Himmelburg, Austria
; † February 2,1992
in Kärnten) is a German civil engineer. He is considered to be one of the most important German engineers of the 20th century.
in 1931 and after completing studies at the University of Berlin
in 1937, he joined the engineering firm Agatz & Bock, which had been established the previous year. Five years later in 1942, he was promoted to partner in the firm and was made an honorary assistant to Arnold Agatz at the University of Berlin. As a junior partner in the firm, Lackner was the on-site supervising engineer for the construction of the famous Valentin submarine pens
in 1943–45 under a contract from the Organisation Todt
.
After the war, Lackner was appointed as the head of the civil engineering department of the United States Port Authority tasked with repairing war-damaged ports throughout Europe. He stayed at this post until 1947 and then returned to his previous position at Agatz. After Lackner applied for a patent for a new type of anchored, prestressed-concrete dry dock in 1953, he oversaw the construction of dry docks in Alexandria
and Karachi
and numerous other projects in the ensuing years. In 1976, the firm was renamed Lackner & Partners and was acquired by Inros Group in 1997. Inros was renamed to Inros Lackner AG in 2004.
and German
during this period.
Lackner was the first chair of the German Engineering Society’s Committee for Waterfront Structures and Harbors after the committee was formed in 1949 and regularly contributed to its published recommendations for various projects. He also provided expert testimony to several inquiries of engineering disasters including a dam break that disabled the newly-constructed Elbe Lateral Canal in 1976 and another dam break on the then-under-construction Rhine–Main–Danube Canal in 1979.
Lackner also served as the chairman of the Port Engineering Society (German
: Hafentechnische Gesellschaft eV) for many years. In 1993, the Society began presenting the biennial Erich Lackner Award for “outstanding contributions in scientific and technical work” by young engineers.
Himmelberg
Himmelberg is a town in the district of Feldkirchen in Carinthia in Austria.-Neighboring municipalities:-References:...
; † February 2,1992
in Kärnten) is a German civil engineer. He is considered to be one of the most important German engineers of the 20th century.
Professional career
Lackner graduated from high school in KlagenfurtKlagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
in 1931 and after completing studies at the University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
in 1937, he joined the engineering firm Agatz & Bock, which had been established the previous year. Five years later in 1942, he was promoted to partner in the firm and was made an honorary assistant to Arnold Agatz at the University of Berlin. As a junior partner in the firm, Lackner was the on-site supervising engineer for the construction of the famous Valentin submarine pens
Valentin submarine pens
The Valentin submarine pens are a protective shelter built to construct German U-boats during World War II at Farge, a small port on the Weser River in Bremen. The pens were under construction from 1943 to March 1945 using forced labour, but were damaged by air-raids and unfinished by the end of...
in 1943–45 under a contract from the Organisation Todt
Organisation Todt
The Todt Organisation, was a Third Reich civil and military engineering group in Germany named after its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior Nazi figure...
.
After the war, Lackner was appointed as the head of the civil engineering department of the United States Port Authority tasked with repairing war-damaged ports throughout Europe. He stayed at this post until 1947 and then returned to his previous position at Agatz. After Lackner applied for a patent for a new type of anchored, prestressed-concrete dry dock in 1953, he oversaw the construction of dry docks in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
and Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and numerous other projects in the ensuing years. In 1976, the firm was renamed Lackner & Partners and was acquired by Inros Group in 1997. Inros was renamed to Inros Lackner AG in 2004.
Teaching and consultative career
From 1964 to 1980, Lackner served as an associate professor in the department of Foundation Engineering, Soil Mechanics, and Waterpower Engineering at the University of Hanover and later served as the director of the Institute for Ground Engineering and Soil Mechanics at the university. He published numerous technical and scientific papers in both EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
during this period.
Lackner was the first chair of the German Engineering Society’s Committee for Waterfront Structures and Harbors after the committee was formed in 1949 and regularly contributed to its published recommendations for various projects. He also provided expert testimony to several inquiries of engineering disasters including a dam break that disabled the newly-constructed Elbe Lateral Canal in 1976 and another dam break on the then-under-construction Rhine–Main–Danube Canal in 1979.
Lackner also served as the chairman of the Port Engineering Society (German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Hafentechnische Gesellschaft eV) for many years. In 1993, the Society began presenting the biennial Erich Lackner Award for “outstanding contributions in scientific and technical work” by young engineers.
Awards
- War Merit CrossWar Merit CrossThe War Merit Cross was a decoration of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, which could be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel...
with Swords - Honorary D.EngDoctor of EngineeringThe Doctor of Engineering is an academic degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and research in engineering or applied sciences...
from Ruhr University Bochum