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LANNA, Vojtěch

* 23. 4. 1805, České Budějovice, Czech republic
† 15. 1. 1866, Prague, Czech republic

Mechanical engineer, civil engineer, entrepreneur

After he finished studying at the Prague Polytechnic, L. started to work in the shipyard of his father in Čtyři Dvory, where they manufactured vessels for the transport on the Vltava and Elbe rivers. He went on a study trip to Hamburg. In 1828 he became imperial royal ship master and took over his father's company.
He was active in shipbuilding and was also engaged in salt trade, which he transported to Prague and imported wood and graphite from Germany. He took part in regulating the Vltava and Labe rivers between 1829 and 1831, when he was the leaseholder of building bridges between Česke Budějovice and Prague. In 1833 he extended the route to the Saxon border. Later he at his own expense regulated the watercourses of rivers Nežárka, Lužnica and Blanica in order to make it possible to navigate rafts.
L. was also concerned with the construction of railways. In 1832 he participated in the construction of a horse driven railway through the Česke Budějovice and Linz. In 1845 he built station buildings for state rail in Prague (in present day Masaryk railway station). As an entrepreneur, who dealt with the construction of railways, he collaborated with Klein brothers and was involved in the regulation of Prague – Podmokly line. In 1850s and 1860s he was also involved in the construction of railway lines Prague - Plzen, Liberec - Pardubice, Kralupy - Turnov and the Northern Railways.
Furthermore, his company also built bridges. In 1840/41 he built a chain bridge in Prague and regulated the river shore around it and in 1845 another chain bridge in Podol. Trading of timber allowed him to establish the flooring factory and the saw-mill in Češke Budějovice (the flooring factory was moved to Prague in 1858).
In1840s L. got engaged in mining. In 1843 he became the co-owner of a small ironworks in the south of the Czech Republic in Adolfovo and in 1847 the co-owner of the mine coal in Kladno, which was purchased by him and Paris citizen V. Novotný. When he was joined by the Klein brothers in 1848, the coal company Kladno also acquired iron ore mines near Nučice. In 1850 the company won a concession to construct ironworks in Kladno, but was soon upgraded to a concession for the mill. Even then L. retained his share. In 1854/55 the ironworks in Kladno was built and in 1857 taken over by the iron company where L. was a member of the Board. At that time L’s company bought a share of Prague Porcelain Factory, located in the city part, which is today known as Smichov.
Due to his merits for the southern Czech industry he was in 1850 elected president of the chamber of commerce and crafts in Češke Budějovice by his colleagues. In 1857 he moved to Prague.
L. was one of the most important entrepreneurs of the 19th century. His son Vojtěch L. junior developed his father’s company further and was active as a collector of art works and the patron, as well as a co-founder of the Art Museum in Prague.

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Izdelava spletnih strani:  Positiva