He was born in Braunschweig. That city was then part of the duchy of Braunschweig-Lüneburg. Today the city is part of Lower Saxony. As a child, he was a prodigy, meaning he was very clever. When he was 3 years old, he told his father that he had incorrectly measured something on his complicated payroll. Gauss was correct. Gauss also taught himself to read.