roger david servais spent his childhood in liège, brussels and berlin. in 1961 he began his studies of painting and design at the school of art in west berlin. when the soviet sector became segregated by the berlin wall, he married his girlfriend waltraud kolbow who lived in the eastern part of the city and they moved to berlin-prenzlauer berg (east berlin). in 1965 their daughter marguerite was born. as citizen of belgium he was free to travel and he commuted between brussels and berlin, but he endured reprisals from the east german government. his art was prohibited to go on exhibition. he made use of his talents by designing book covers for publishers. by intervention of baudouin of belgium, his wife and daughter were allowed to leave the german democratic republic in 1973 and settle in belgium.