His father was a Lutheran minister of the Evangelical-Lutheran State Church of Hanover, serving in Hanover, Schmedenstedt and Gronau upon Leine.
hɪz fˈɑːðɚ wʌzɐ lˈuːθɜːɹən mˈɪnɪstɚɹ ʌvðɪ ˌiːvɐndʒˈɛlɪkəllˈuːθɜːɹən stˈeɪt tʃˈɜːtʃ ʌv hˈænoʊvɚ, sˈɜːvɪŋ ɪn hˈænoʊvɚ, ʃmˈɛdənstˌɛt ænd ɡɹˈɑːnaʊ əpˌɑːn lˈeɪn.