6 ▁April ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁in ▁Alexand ria , ▁Egypt , ▁( then ▁under ▁British ▁occupation , ▁though ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ), ▁into ▁the ▁eth nic ▁German ▁family ▁of ▁Fritz ▁H ess , ▁a ▁prosper ous ▁merchant ▁from ▁Bav aria , ▁and ▁Clara ▁H ess ▁( née ▁Mün ch ). ▁His ▁brother , ▁Alfred , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁and ▁his ▁sister , ▁Marg are te , ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 . ▁The ▁family ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁villa ▁on ▁the ▁Egypt ian ▁coast ▁near ▁Alexand ria , ▁and ▁visited ▁Germany ▁often ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁stay ing ▁at ▁their ▁summer ▁home ▁in ▁Reich olds gr ün ▁( now ▁part ▁of ▁Kirchen lam itz ) ▁in ▁the ▁F icht el ▁Mountains . ▁H ess ▁attended ▁a ▁German ▁language ▁Protest ant ▁school ▁in ▁Alexand ria ▁from ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁sent ▁back ▁to ▁Germany ▁to ▁study ▁at ▁a ▁board ing ▁school ▁in ▁Bad ▁G odes berg . ▁He ▁demonstrated ▁apt itudes ▁for ▁science ▁and ▁mathematics , ▁but ▁his ▁father ▁wished ▁him ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁family ▁business , ▁H ess ▁& ▁Co ., ▁so ▁he ▁sent ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁to ▁study ▁at ▁the ▁É cole ▁sup érieure ▁de ▁commerce ▁in ▁Ne uch ât el , ▁Switzerland . ▁After ▁a ▁year ▁there , ▁H ess ▁took ▁an ▁app rent ices hip ▁at ▁a ▁trad ing ▁company