Early life Hermann Göring

göring in 1907, @ age 14

göring s godfather dr. hermann epenstein, wealthy jewish physician , businessman father had met in africa. epenstein provided göring family, surviving on heinrich s pension, first family home in berlin-friedenau, in small castle called veldenstein, near nuremberg. göring s mother became epenstein s mistress around time, , remained fifteen years. epenstein acquired minor title of ritter (knight) von epenstein through service , donations crown.

interested in career soldier age, göring enjoyed playing toy soldiers , dressing in boer uniform father had given him. sent boarding school @ age eleven, food poor , discipline harsh. sold violin pay train ticket home, , took bed, feigning illness, until told not have return. continued enjoy war games, pretending lay siege castle veldenstein , studying teutonic legends , sagas. became mountain climber, scaling peaks in germany, @ mont blanc massif, , in austrian alps. @ sixteen sent military academy @ berlin lichterfelde, graduated distinction. (during nuremberg war-crimes trials in 1946, psychologist gustave gilbert measured him having intelligence quotient (iq) of 138.)

göring joined prince wilhelm regiment (112th infantry) of prussian army in 1912. next year mother had falling-out epenstein. family forced leave veldenstein , moved munich; göring s father died shortly afterwards. when world war began in august 1914, göring stationed @ mulhouse regiment.