ولد بودي في هامبورج، وقد عانى في شبابه من مرض في عينه مما أدى إلى تضرر عينه اليمنى بشكل تدريجي، واستمرت معاناته من عينيه طوال فترة حياته.
As a youth, he suffered from a serious eye disease which particularly damaged his right eye; he continued to have trouble with his eyes throughout his life.