 Nyora kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Mende akaberekwa musi wa 28 Gumiguru 1916 muGroß Strehlitz, muPurovhinzi yeSilezia, purovhinzi muUmambo hwePrussia. Nhasi inonzi Strzelce Opolskie, chikamu cheOpole Voivodeship muPoland. Aive wechitatu pavana vana vaMax Mende 1885-1943 nemukadzi wake Anna 1889-1968, née Krawietz, wedzinza rePoland. Aiva nomukoma Walter aiva nemakore manomwe uye hanzvadzi Amalie aiva nemakore mashanu. Baba vake vakanga vari mutungamiriri wechikoro chesekondari Volksschule uye, sezvakanga zvakajairika pakati pevaKaturike, mutsigiri weCentre Party. Akakurira mudunhu reSilesian rakarwa zvakanyanya panguva yeSilesian Uprisings ya1919 kusvika 1921 iyo yakasvika muHondo yeAnnaberg2126 May 1921. Akasanganawo nekupambwa kweUpper Silesia nemauto eBritish, French neItaly, uye achitongwa neInter-Allied Committee inotungamirwa nemukuru weFrance, Henri Le Rond. 