August Ludwig Harbart was born on June 15, 1869 in the village of Makowiec, Poland (northeast of the city of Lipno). He was the 2nd living child (and oldest son) of Jakob Harbart and Euphrosine Hapke, who were married 6 years earlier, in 1865. The Harbart family was part of the large German diaspora that was living in Poland at that time.
Very little is known about August's early life. His parents, who were farmers, had 10 living children. After August (the 2nd child) was born, they settled in the village of Brzezno - which is located to the east of Lipno (and is within the neighboring Ossowka Lutheran parish).
August was married at the age of 23 - on September 9, 1892 - to Emilie Sonnenberg, in the Lipno Lutheran Church. They made their home in the village of Czarne - south of Lipno. There is no record of any children born to August and Emilie, so if there were any, they apparently died before they could be baptized. Emilie died of an unknown cause (church records do not specify cause of death) less than 7 years later, on June 24, 1899.
Not quite 6 weeks after Emilie's death, August remarried to the widow Emilie Purath Bensel - on August 8, 1899 in the Lipno Lutheran Church. Emilie's first husband Christoph Bensel had died the previous year, leaving Emilie to take care of their 3 children alone. August and Emilie settled in the village of Teodorowo, Poland (just south of Czarne), and went on to have 9 more children:
Ludwig - 1900
Rudolf - 1902
Hulda - 1904
Emma - 1906
Ewald (twin) - 1908 (died in infancy)
Lydia (twin) - 1908
Julius - 1910 (died in infancy)
Emil (twin) - 1913
Ewald (twin) - 1913
As the oldest son, Ludwig would presumably take over the responsibilities of running the family farm, and caring for his parents. In the end, Ludwig decided to emigrate to Germany in the 1920's, so the next son Rudolf inherited that responsibility. Emilie and August continued to live in the family home (in separate rooms) with Rudolf and his family until the closing days of World War II.
In January of 1945, with the Soviet Army advancing from the east and just a few miles away, son Rudolf (who was the Fire Chief for the village of Teodorowo) helped to hastily organize the evacuation of the village. The Germans living in Poland feared reprisals from both the Soviet Army (who suffered great losses at the hands of the Nazi German army) and their Polish neighbors (many of whom were persecuted, evicted from their homes, or worse, during the German occupation of Poland). The Harbarts loaded as many possessions as they could onto one horse-drawn wagon, and departed from the only home they had ever known. Two months later, they ended their journey in northwestern Germany, in the village of Munderloh. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately caught up in fighting there, as the Americans, British and Canadians were advancing into Germany from the western front.
Although the war ended in 1945, the fate of many of Emilie and August's children and grandchildren was still unknown - due to the devastation brought on by the war, and the chaotic "exodus" of most of them from Poland (some family members didn't have the means to leave, or simply decided to stay).
August's wife Emilie died the following year - on November 14, 1946 at the age of 74. August died 5 years later, on July 28, 1951 at the age of 82. As is the tradition in Germany, the grave of Emilie and August was eventually "evened out", but their youngest son Ewald and his wife Elsa (who died in 1996 and 2000 respectively) are buried in that same cemetery plot now.
Very little is known about August's early life. His parents, who were farmers, had 10 living children. After August (the 2nd child) was born, they settled in the village of Brzezno - which is located to the east of Lipno (and is within the neighboring Ossowka Lutheran parish).
August was married at the age of 23 - on September 9, 1892 - to Emilie Sonnenberg, in the Lipno Lutheran Church. They made their home in the village of Czarne - south of Lipno. There is no record of any children born to August and Emilie, so if there were any, they apparently died before they could be baptized. Emilie died of an unknown cause (church records do not specify cause of death) less than 7 years later, on June 24, 1899.
Not quite 6 weeks after Emilie's death, August remarried to the widow Emilie Purath Bensel - on August 8, 1899 in the Lipno Lutheran Church. Emilie's first husband Christoph Bensel had died the previous year, leaving Emilie to take care of their 3 children alone. August and Emilie settled in the village of Teodorowo, Poland (just south of Czarne), and went on to have 9 more children:
Ludwig - 1900
Rudolf - 1902
Hulda - 1904
Emma - 1906
Ewald (twin) - 1908 (died in infancy)
Lydia (twin) - 1908
Julius - 1910 (died in infancy)
Emil (twin) - 1913
Ewald (twin) - 1913
As the oldest son, Ludwig would presumably take over the responsibilities of running the family farm, and caring for his parents. In the end, Ludwig decided to emigrate to Germany in the 1920's, so the next son Rudolf inherited that responsibility. Emilie and August continued to live in the family home (in separate rooms) with Rudolf and his family until the closing days of World War II.
In January of 1945, with the Soviet Army advancing from the east and just a few miles away, son Rudolf (who was the Fire Chief for the village of Teodorowo) helped to hastily organize the evacuation of the village. The Germans living in Poland feared reprisals from both the Soviet Army (who suffered great losses at the hands of the Nazi German army) and their Polish neighbors (many of whom were persecuted, evicted from their homes, or worse, during the German occupation of Poland). The Harbarts loaded as many possessions as they could onto one horse-drawn wagon, and departed from the only home they had ever known. Two months later, they ended their journey in northwestern Germany, in the village of Munderloh. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately caught up in fighting there, as the Americans, British and Canadians were advancing into Germany from the western front.
Although the war ended in 1945, the fate of many of Emilie and August's children and grandchildren was still unknown - due to the devastation brought on by the war, and the chaotic "exodus" of most of them from Poland (some family members didn't have the means to leave, or simply decided to stay).
August's wife Emilie died the following year - on November 14, 1946 at the age of 74. August died 5 years later, on July 28, 1951 at the age of 82. As is the tradition in Germany, the grave of Emilie and August was eventually "evened out", but their youngest son Ewald and his wife Elsa (who died in 1996 and 2000 respectively) are buried in that same cemetery plot now.
August Ludwig Harbart was born on June 15, 1869 in the village of Makowiec, Poland (northeast of the city of Lipno). He was the 2nd living child (and oldest son) of Jakob Harbart and Euphrosine Hapke, who were married 6 years earlier, in 1865. The Harbart family was part of the large German diaspora that was living in Poland at that time.
Very little is known about August's early life. His parents, who were farmers, had 10 living children. After August (the 2nd child) was born, they settled in the village of Brzezno - which is located to the east of Lipno (and is within the neighboring Ossowka Lutheran parish).
August was married at the age of 23 - on September 9, 1892 - to Emilie Sonnenberg, in the Lipno Lutheran Church. They made their home in the village of Czarne - south of Lipno. There is no record of any children born to August and Emilie, so if there were any, they apparently died before they could be baptized. Emilie died of an unknown cause (church records do not specify cause of death) less than 7 years later, on June 24, 1899.
Not quite 6 weeks after Emilie's death, August remarried to the widow Emilie Purath Bensel - on August 8, 1899 in the Lipno Lutheran Church. Emilie's first husband Christoph Bensel had died the previous year, leaving Emilie to take care of their 3 children alone. August and Emilie settled in the village of Teodorowo, Poland (just south of Czarne), and went on to have 9 more children:
Ludwig - 1900
Rudolf - 1902
Hulda - 1904
Emma - 1906
Ewald (twin) - 1908 (died in infancy)
Lydia (twin) - 1908
Julius - 1910 (died in infancy)
Emil (twin) - 1913
Ewald (twin) - 1913
As the oldest son, Ludwig would presumably take over the responsibilities of running the family farm, and caring for his parents. In the end, Ludwig decided to emigrate to Germany in the 1920's, so the next son Rudolf inherited that responsibility. Emilie and August continued to live in the family home (in separate rooms) with Rudolf and his family until the closing days of World War II.
In January of 1945, with the Soviet Army advancing from the east and just a few miles away, son Rudolf (who was the Fire Chief for the village of Teodorowo) helped to hastily organize the evacuation of the village. The Germans living in Poland feared reprisals from both the Soviet Army (who suffered great losses at the hands of the Nazi German army) and their Polish neighbors (many of whom were persecuted, evicted from their homes, or worse, during the German occupation of Poland). The Harbarts loaded as many possessions as they could onto one horse-drawn wagon, and departed from the only home they had ever known. Two months later, they ended their journey in northwestern Germany, in the village of Munderloh. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately caught up in fighting there, as the Americans, British and Canadians were advancing into Germany from the western front.
Although the war ended in 1945, the fate of many of Emilie and August's children and grandchildren was still unknown - due to the devastation brought on by the war, and the chaotic "exodus" of most of them from Poland (some family members didn't have the means to leave, or simply decided to stay).
August's wife Emilie died the following year - on November 14, 1946 at the age of 74. August died 5 years later, on July 28, 1951 at the age of 82. As is the tradition in Germany, the grave of Emilie and August was eventually "evened out", but their youngest son Ewald and his wife Elsa (who died in 1996 and 2000 respectively) are buried in that same cemetery plot now.
Very little is known about August's early life. His parents, who were farmers, had 10 living children. After August (the 2nd child) was born, they settled in the village of Brzezno - which is located to the east of Lipno (and is within the neighboring Ossowka Lutheran parish).
August was married at the age of 23 - on September 9, 1892 - to Emilie Sonnenberg, in the Lipno Lutheran Church. They made their home in the village of Czarne - south of Lipno. There is no record of any children born to August and Emilie, so if there were any, they apparently died before they could be baptized. Emilie died of an unknown cause (church records do not specify cause of death) less than 7 years later, on June 24, 1899.
Not quite 6 weeks after Emilie's death, August remarried to the widow Emilie Purath Bensel - on August 8, 1899 in the Lipno Lutheran Church. Emilie's first husband Christoph Bensel had died the previous year, leaving Emilie to take care of their 3 children alone. August and Emilie settled in the village of Teodorowo, Poland (just south of Czarne), and went on to have 9 more children:
Ludwig - 1900
Rudolf - 1902
Hulda - 1904
Emma - 1906
Ewald (twin) - 1908 (died in infancy)
Lydia (twin) - 1908
Julius - 1910 (died in infancy)
Emil (twin) - 1913
Ewald (twin) - 1913
As the oldest son, Ludwig would presumably take over the responsibilities of running the family farm, and caring for his parents. In the end, Ludwig decided to emigrate to Germany in the 1920's, so the next son Rudolf inherited that responsibility. Emilie and August continued to live in the family home (in separate rooms) with Rudolf and his family until the closing days of World War II.
In January of 1945, with the Soviet Army advancing from the east and just a few miles away, son Rudolf (who was the Fire Chief for the village of Teodorowo) helped to hastily organize the evacuation of the village. The Germans living in Poland feared reprisals from both the Soviet Army (who suffered great losses at the hands of the Nazi German army) and their Polish neighbors (many of whom were persecuted, evicted from their homes, or worse, during the German occupation of Poland). The Harbarts loaded as many possessions as they could onto one horse-drawn wagon, and departed from the only home they had ever known. Two months later, they ended their journey in northwestern Germany, in the village of Munderloh. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately caught up in fighting there, as the Americans, British and Canadians were advancing into Germany from the western front.
Although the war ended in 1945, the fate of many of Emilie and August's children and grandchildren was still unknown - due to the devastation brought on by the war, and the chaotic "exodus" of most of them from Poland (some family members didn't have the means to leave, or simply decided to stay).
August's wife Emilie died the following year - on November 14, 1946 at the age of 74. August died 5 years later, on July 28, 1951 at the age of 82. As is the tradition in Germany, the grave of Emilie and August was eventually "evened out", but their youngest son Ewald and his wife Elsa (who died in 1996 and 2000 respectively) are buried in that same cemetery plot now.
