Friedrich Ebert, the seventh of nine children of Karl Ebert and Katharina Hinkel, was born February 4, 1871, in Heidelberg, Germany. He married Louise Rump in 1894, and they raised five children together, including politician Friedrich "Fritz" Ebert Jr. Ebert was a leader of the Social Democratic movement in Germany and a moderate socialist; he was a leader in bringing about the constitution of the Weimar Republic, which attempted to unite Germany after its defeat in World War I. Ebert was the first president of the Weimar Republic, from 1919 until his death in office on February 28, 1925, in Berlin. He was buried in Heidelberg, Germany.

Johann Goldak was born in late August 1895 to Johann Goldak and Luise Romahn in Lyck, East Prussia, Germany (now Poland), the second of five sons. As a young man, while working to help support his family after his father's death in 1904, he learned Polish from his customers, which he later used to act as an interpreter during the war.

At the age of 17, Goldak completed his engineering studies. When World War I broke out two years later, Johann enlisted and was put to work laying cables (among other duties) as an engineer. He first fought on the Russian front, where his feet froze badly, and he was later shot very close to the heart. He miraculously survived and was later able to have surgery; 3 months later, he was sent back to the front lines, but this time in France. He was captured and taken to an American-run POW camp, where he was the highest-ranking officer. As such, when they were still being held prisoner in March 1919, four months after the Armistice, he wrote to the newly-elected first president of the new Weimar Republic, Friedrich Ebert, to ask when they might be released. He won three awards in the war, including the Iron Cross.

Goldak married Helene Hulda Erna Kalkkuhl in Apen, Westerstede, Oldenburg, Germany, on September 28, 1927. They raised two sons and two daughters. The family emigrated to the area of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1929 and 1930. Goldak died January 21, 1974, in Parksville, British Columbia, Canada.