Ernst Barlach: Life and Legacy Early Life and Education Born in Wedel, Holstein (Germany) on January 2nd, 1870, Ernst Heinrich Barlach was the eldest of four sons. His father, Dr. Georg Barlach, was a physician who died when Ernst was fourteen, leading to a move with his family. He received his early education in Ratzeburg and Schönberg, growing up in a devout Lutheran household. Barlach began his artistic training at the Gewerbeschule Hamburg (Hamburg School of Applied Arts) from 1888 to 1891. He continued his studies at the Königliche Akademie der bildenden Künste zu Dresden (Ro…