 Hans Blumenberg finished his university entrance exam in 1939 at the Katharineum zu Lübeck, as the only student receiving the grade 'Auszeichnung' ('Distinguished').But, being labelled a "Half-Jew", considering that his mother was Jewish, the Catholic Blumenberg was barred from continuing his studies at any regular institution of learning in Germany.Instead, between 1939 and 1941 he was to pursue his studies of philosophy at the theological universities in Paderborn and Frankfurt, where he was forced to leave towards the end of this period.