Karl Hartnack

Karl Hartnack, 90 died peacefully after a brief illness on October 24, one week before his 91st birthday. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Gabriele Hartnack, his children: Katie (Patrick), Tess (Ken), Susanne McHugh (John), and Anna (Lars); his grandchildren: Andrea (John), Jana (Lexx), Morgan, Sloan, Matthew, Colin, Will, Leo, Liam and James; his great-grandson, Evan.

Born in October 1933 in Chicago, IL to Aenne Röder and Hugo Hartnack. Karl lived in Deerfield and Highland Park. After losing his mother at age two, shortly after his sister's birth, his father sought help in caring for two young children by sending Karl to live with his grandparents in Germany. He returned to the U.S. on the last ship before the outbreak of World War II in 1939. The family later relocated to Tacoma, WA. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1954 and eventually ended up in Washington DC, working on early computers at the Pentagon. He met and married his first wife, Barbara Bell, and they had three daughters: Katie, Tess, and Susanne.

Karl studied architecture at the University of Illinois from 1959 to 1964, joining Harry Weese and Associates in Chicago upon graduation. He contributed to significant projects, including the restoration of the Auditorium Theatre, Orchestra Hall, and the South Garden of the Art Institute of Chicago. During his time at HWA, he made lifelong friends who remained with him for years to come. In 1969, feeling restless and eager for change, he accepted a position at a firm in Düsseldorf, Germany. With his family, he began a new chapter and later relocated to Basel, Switzerland, in 1971 to work for Suter + Suter.

After the end of his first marriage, Karl returned to Düsseldorf. It was during this time that he met and later married Gabriele Zuhmann and in 1982, they welcomed a daughter, Anna. He founded Karl Hartnack + Associates and worked on projects in Beirut, Baghdad, Dubai, Berlin and Bonn. He loved spending time in the Pacific Northwest and Florida but always came back to visit Chicago.

Karl was adventurous, kind, patient, lovable, generous, and anticipatory with a wicked sense of humor. He adored his children and his grandchildren. He loved to travel, delighted in conversation, and formed friendships wherever he went, leaving a lasting impression on those he met along the way. With a passion for design and culture, he appreciated everything from architecture and urban spaces to fine art, ballet, books, and music finding beauty and inspiration in simple details. He was loved by so many and will be deeply missed.

A funeral is planned in Düsseldorf, Germany.