▁September ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁in ▁Sch rim m ▁( now ▁Ś rem , ▁Poland ). ▁His ▁pat ernal ▁grand par ents , ▁mat ernal ▁grand m other ▁and ▁one ▁uncle ▁were ▁also ▁arrested ▁around ▁this ▁time . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁parents ' ▁arrest , ▁his ▁mother ▁was ▁hoch sch w anger , ▁literally ▁" high ly ▁pre gn ant ". ▁His ▁father ▁was ▁conv icted ▁and ▁executed ▁shortly ▁after ▁his ▁birth . ▁Co ppi ' s ▁father ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁see ▁him ▁in ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁arms ▁one ▁last ▁time ▁before ▁being ▁executed . ▁His ▁mother ▁attempted ▁to ▁get ▁cle men cy , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁denied ▁by ▁Adolf ▁Hitler ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 3 . ▁She ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁nur se ▁her ▁son ▁until ▁shortly ▁before ▁her ▁execution ▁on ▁August ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁at ▁Pl öt z ense e ▁Pr ison , ▁when ▁Co ppi ▁was ▁just ▁eight ▁months ▁old . ▁Co ppi ▁grew ▁up ▁with ▁his ▁grand par ents . ▁ ▁Education ▁and ▁career ▁ ▁After ▁studying ▁econom ics ▁in ▁college , ▁Co ppi ▁worked ▁at ▁an ▁East ▁German ▁foreign ▁trade ▁company ▁for ▁machine ▁tools ▁as ▁a ▁party ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁r uling ▁S ED ▁party . ▁From ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁employed ▁by ▁the ▁Berlin ▁district ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Unity ▁Party ▁( SE D ). ▁After ▁a ▁year ▁of ▁study ▁abroad ▁in