 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Raster akaberekerwa muZerbst, muDuchy yeAnhalt-Dessau musi waMay 6, 1827 kumhuri yevakuru vakuru. Akanga ari mwanakomana wezvematongerwe enyika Wilhelm Christian Raster, shamwari yepedyo yaLeopold IV, Duke weAnhalt uyo akashanda semukuru weCustoms uye Excise Collector weDuchy uye akanga ari mushanduri anozivikanwa wemutauro weChirungu. Baba vake vakasimbirira kuti adzidze chiNgezi achiri muduku uye vakaunza mudzidzisi kubva kuEngland kuzomurayiridza. Nyanzvi yemitauro ine chipo, Raster akanga ava kutaura mitauro minomwe zvakanaka paakapedza dzidzo yake. Akapedza kudzidza paYunivhesiti yeLeipzig muna 1846 uye ipapo paYunivhesiti yeBerlin muna 1848, achidzidza philology, mutauro, uye nhoroondo pakurayira kwababa vake. Pasinei nechido chababa vake chokuti aite basa rokudzidza mutauro, Raster muduku aifarira nhau uye zvematongerwe enyika. Muna 1849 akatora chinzvimbo se stenographer weAnhalt Legislature uye nguva pfupi yapfuura akagadzwa Secretary weState Assembly yeDessau. Akurudzirwa nekusangana nemunyori Bettina von Arnim, akabatanidzwa nechiGerman chezvematongerwo enyika chezvematongerwo enyika mukupera kwema1840s, uye nokushingaira akanyora mapepa aishora chechi nehurumende. Muna 1851, pashure pokunge vapanduki vakundikana, akapiwa mukana wokusarudza kusiya Germany kana kuti kutongwa nokuda kwezviito zvake. 