köhler was born in skierbieszów (later named heidenstein), in the general government area of german-occupied poland. he was the seventh child of elisabeth and eduard köhler. his family were bessarabian germans from rîşcani in romanian bessarabia (near bălţi, present-day moldova). horst köhler's parents had to leave their home in bessarabia in 1940. as part of the generalplan ost, they were resettled in 1942 at skierbieszów. this was a village near zamość, poland (then part of the general government). when the wehrmacht was pushed back during world war two, the köhler family fled to leipzig. in 1953, they left the soviet zone to escape from the communist regime. the family lived in refugee camps until 1957. then, they settled in ludwigsburg. horst köhler hence spent most of his first 14 years as a refugee.