parents were Gertrude Dinse and Adolf Julius Paul Teichmüller. Although Oswald was born in Nordhausen im Harz, his parent's home was in the small village of Sankt Andreasberg, famed as a winter sports resort, about 25 km north of Nordhausen. When Oswald was only a few days old his mother took him from Nordhausen to their family home in Sankt Andreasberg. Paul Teichmüller, Oswald's father, was a weaver. He was 33 years old when Oswald was born and his wife Gertrude was 39 years old. When Oswald was one year old World War I broke out and in 1915 Paul Teichmüller's weaving business closed when he left home to fight in the war. At some stage during the war Paul Teichmüller was wounded but he did not return to Sankt Andreasberg until the war ended in 1918. At this stage he opened his weaving business again but, when Oswald was twelve years old, his father died.