▁Luther an ▁minister ) ▁and ▁T oni ▁de ▁Bo or ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁he ▁fled ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁with ▁his ▁family , ▁sett ling ▁eventually ▁in ▁Sch wer in , ▁then ▁part ▁of ▁East ▁Germany . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁child , ▁he ▁was ▁often ▁ill , ▁suffering ▁from ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁conditions . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁young ▁Carl ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁temporary ▁political ▁th aw ▁following ▁Joseph ▁St alin ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁obtained ▁a ▁ 1 - month ▁vis a ▁to ▁West ▁Germany ▁and ▁b ik ed ▁there , ▁then ▁decided ▁to ▁stay ▁when ▁he ▁learned ▁there ▁that ▁his ▁application ▁to ▁H umb old t ▁University ▁( in ▁East ▁Berlin ) ▁for ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁chem istry ▁had ▁been ▁turned ▁down ▁( because ▁of ▁his ▁poor ▁performance ▁in ▁mathematics ). ▁ ▁However , ▁Otto ▁Friedrich ▁( a ▁brother ▁of ▁Carl ' s ▁father ' s ▁first ▁wife ) ▁was ▁willing ▁and ▁able ▁to ▁help ▁him . ▁Two ▁years ▁later , ▁he ▁met ▁and ▁fell ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Otto ' s ▁nie ce , ▁Mat ilda ▁Friedrich , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Carl ▁Friedrich , ▁the ▁political ▁scient ist ▁and ▁constitution al ▁scholar . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁Friedrich ▁family , ▁Carl ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁learning ▁English ▁on ▁his ▁trip ▁across ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁( he ▁could ▁read ▁Beat rix ▁Pot ter ▁when ▁he