22.11.2003: 3. Poul Mogens Birkedal Hartmann

In 1921, Poul Mogens Birkedal Hartmann married Johanne Konow. She was the daughter of Finance Minister Fredrik Landvik Konow from Bergen. They had three children Elyn, Ivan and Fredrik. The three children attended for many years their grandoncle boarding school in Hvalstad. In those years, the company was doing very well and in 1940, Halfdan sold the company to his son Poul Mogens. Then came the war. As Vice consul and to attend to the norwegian interests, Poul Mogens had to move to Vichy where the french government had its headquarters. The company then stood without a leader and, because of the war, the export possibilities were rather limited. During those difficult years, the company kept all its employees and suffered a lot after the war as the finances were very low. The Scandinavian countries were very good partners in those "after war" years and the privilege of the language was obvious. Poul Mogens Birkedal Hartmann ran the company until his death in 1972 when his son, Ivan Birkedal Hartmann who had been worhing with him for many years, took over.