Early Life, Family and Training Willi Oltmanns was born on 29 September 1905 in Bant, near Wilhelmshaven. His early years were shaped by the practicalities of a craft. Between 1920 and 1923, he underwent a painter apprenticeship, learning the fundamental mechanics of the trade. This period of training provided the technical foundation that would support his later work as a painter. In 1924, his life moved toward the Riesengebirge. Du…