bˈɔːɹn ɪn mˈeɪnts, ɡɹˈænd dˈʌtʃi ʌv hˈɛs, hiː wʌzðə bɹˈʌðɚɹ ʌv ænd ðə mətˈɜːnəl ɡɹˈændfɑːðɚɹ ʌvðə hɪstˈoːɹiən hˈaɪnɹɪtʃ spɹˈoʊmbɜːɡ.
Born in Mainz, Grand Duchy of Hesse, he was the brother of  and the maternal grandfather of the historian Heinrich Sproemberg.