Bernardus Lutz

Bernardus Theodorus (Bernd) Lutz was born on February 8, 1822, as the first child of Antonius Lutz and Josephina Vos at the Lutz estate in the district of Vöhren. With his birth, Antonius had an heir to his family estate. So, from a very young age, Bernardus worked on the farm, starting with simple tasks such as caring for the small animals and helping with the harvest. Bernardus loved the outdoors and spent as much time as he could in the fields and with the animals. His father was eager to teach him all there was to know about farming, and Bernardus looked up to him.   When Bernardus was sixteen, he inherited the entire estate from his father. Although he saw this as an honour, Bernardus was nervous about maintaining the farm to his father's standards. The farm had suffered from decreasing soil quality, and other farms in the area competed with cattle. The most money was to be made with the production and processing of Flax to make linen fabric, which would then be used by his mother's shop and sold to wholesalers. During the first years of his ownership, the farm business went well. However, the increasing industrialization and rise of steam-powered weaving mills made it increasingly difficult to compete. Large factories were able to produce the same fabrics at much lower prices and sometimes even better quality. He, therefore, switched to more intricate handmade designs, which machines were not able to copy, and he sold his fabrics directly to tailor shops and fashion houses. This proved to be a good switch, but demand was quite low in this niche market, and it cost a lot of time to make an intricate fabric.   The high workload and constant worries often led him to seek solace in the local tavern with a drink. After an episode of drunkenness, he fell and hit a bar, leading to a trip to the hospital. There, he was looked after by a volunteer nurse named Helena Hahn. Her natural beauty captivated him, but he lacked the courage to speak to her, even in his intoxicated state. Shortly after, he returned to the hospital and boldly asked her out on a date. A few months later, Helena discovered she was pregnant, causing a scandal in the region. Bernardus hastily proposed to Helena, which she accepted, realizing that she would face ruin if she refused. However, the pregnancy took a toll on Helena, and she spent most of her time in bed, leading the couple to postpone their marriage and, therefore, escalating the scandal. Bernardus insisted that Helena move in with him at Lutz farm so he and his family could care for her.   On May 1, 1850, Theo Lutz was born after a long labour. Helena suffered from extreme fatigue, sickness, and stress after the birth but insisted on taking care of her firstborn child. Bernardus did what he could to help out, and he felt extremely guilty about her suffering. His visits to the bar became more frequent, and Bernardus became known for his bad fits and anger outbursts. He was able to hide it from his wife and child, although his parents were aware.   On July 1st, 1851, a year after the birth of their first child, Bernardus and Helena got married. Luckily, Helena was able to recover. Bernardus also made a commitment to stay away from alcohol, work hard, and be there for his family. However, without a drink, Bernardus suffered more from stress and worries, and sometimes even lashed out at his wife, immediately feeling sorry afterwards and almost smothering her with love. He also projected his guilt towards his child, trying to spend every free minute with him and making sure he got everything he needed.   Two years later, on March 30, 1853, his second child, Arendt Lutz, was born. This time, the pregnancy went very smoothly and quickly, and Helena was healthy and in good spirits. However, Bernardus was so nervous about the birth that he locked himself away in the shed or worked extremely long hours, avoiding dealing with the pregnancy, even though it went well. After Arendt was born, Bernardus showed no interest in the child, almost as if he was afraid of him.   Bernardus inherited many physical traits from his father Antonius, such as brown eyes, dark brown hair, and a sturdy build. Growing up on a challenging farm, Bernard became a strong man with large hands and feet, as well as the stamina of an ox.