Now “my Germany” is not only a distant consciousness, but a solid and living part of me that I carry with me wherever I go.

My affinity for German extended beyond language. I felt Germany in my very bones. This was strange and difficult to explain. I can only describe it like a long-lost memory of a place I had not yet visited.

I am a direct descendant of Adolf (sometimes spelled Adolph) Herrmann Lothar Gosling, born in Osnabrück, appointed Consul General in New YorkCity for the Kingdom of Hanover by King George V of Hanover.

Carl Heinrich Nachtrieb (also known as Charles Henry), born in 1794, decided to make a daring escape to America with his 13 children.