Antonius Lutz

Antonius Lutz was born on February 11, 1789, on the Lutz Family estate in the district of Vöhren. He was born into a family of farmers that had owned the estate for many centuries, growing diverse crops and keeping cattle. From a very young age, he had to lend a hand with farm work, first caring for the smaller animals and helping with the harvest, and later doing the heavier labor work. There was no money for school, except for Sunday School at church.   As the first child, Antonius was destined to take over the farm, and his father trained him to do so. Unfortunately, his father passed away before he could learn all the necessary skills. He was only 15 years old when he inherited the estate. Luckily, his mother took charge until he was of age, but Antonius had to do most of the heavy work on the farm.   When Antonius was 18 years old, he assumed full control of the farm and quickly noticed that things were not going as smoothly as he believed. The profits had already been tight for years, and due to the wars, profits declined even further. Additionally, the farm was grappling with a disappointing harvest, and it was revealed that the soil quality of the estate's lands was rapidly decreasing due to decades of farming. Also, because of the deeper clay layers, water was not able to flow away, and there were problems with flooding.   Yet, while Antonius was inexperienced, he persevered and managed to keep the farm operational. He dug out ditches to ensure proper drainage and improved crop rotation. Also, he focused more on farming Flax to make linen and oil, which were in high demand during that time.   And the trade in linen brought him other things as well. He met Josephina Vos, who worked as a tailor in her parents' clothing and repair shop in the city of Lutheria. He provided locally produced linen for her, and the two started to see each other after business hours. They married after a short courtship on October 18, 1810, at St. Mary's Chapel in the city of Lutheria. The marriage proved to be a good match not only in love but also financially. Josephina brought her new weaving skills to improve the quality of the linen, and Antonius became a fabric provider for her store. When most farms struggled during the winter because there was nothing to earn from the land, Antonius and Josephina had extra income from the shop.   The couple lived a comfortable life, especially when the wars slowly ended, and demand for their products became more stable. But in 1816, just one year after the end of the Napoleonic Wars, disaster struck. After the consequences of the eruption of Mount Tambora, the world was experiencing the Year Without a Summer. All crops failed, and the family had to live most of the year off their livestock, even though they were not meant for consumption, and stored food such as potatoes and preserved foods. The community decided to share the little food that they had with each other to survive. The support needed from farmers was enormous, especially for the people within the city who did not grow their own crops or keep cattle. Also, after the year without summer, it took the community years to recover.   When things were getting more stable, Antonius and Josephina started to think about the next generation. They needed an heir to keep the farm going, preferably a son for the farm and a daughter for the clothing shop. On February 8, 1822, Bernardus Lutz was born, and four years later, on May 5, 1826, Lisa Lutz. The children were raised the same way as Antonius was brought up, doing chores from a very young age on the farm and being trained by their parents to take over the family business.   Antonius made sure to get Bernardus ready early so he would not experience the struggles he had while he was unprepared to take over the business. Bernardus, however, quickly learned the trade, and in 1848, Antonius decided he should inherit the farm so he could retire and enjoy more time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. As it is customary, Antonius will stay on the farm until old age, doing chores and helping out as long as he can.   Antonius Lutz takes after his father in looks, sporting dark brown hair, that is turning grey, hazel-brown eyes, and a tanned complexion. He shares his father's height of 187cm and weighs around 110kg, which gives him a sturdy and impressive build. Although the hardships of farm life have left their mark on his face, his eyes still hold a spark of excitement and determination. Although generally quiet and observant, Antonius has a talent for cracking a joke at the right moment.