swartzberg grew up in new york city prior to moving with his family to bihar, india, where his father, a cultural anthropologist, researched village life on a long-term basis. while in india, he attended a jesuit boarding school. after studying at brandeis university and in paris for a semester in 1973, he transferred to the university of wisconsin–madison, where he earned a b.a. in 1976 in asian urban studies. in 1976, he became an investigative journalist in hong kong. in 1980, he arrived in berlin, where he launched his long-term relationship with the international herald tribune. in 1985, he moved to munich, where he has lived since.