Maria Göppert (later Maria Goeppert Mayer) was born in Kattowitz, Germany.
Maria Göppert Mayer was born on June 28, 1906, in Kattowitz, Upper Silesia, part of Germany, which is now Katowice, Poland. She was born into a well-educated family; her father was a pediatric doctor and her intellectual upbringing played a crucial role in shaping her future pursuits in science.