David Hilbert's remarkable career falls into two clearly distinct periods: the quiet Königsberg phase, which spanned the period from his birth on 23 January 1862 to that of his full maturity as one of Germany's leading mathematicians, followed by the tumultuous Göttingen years. The latter began with his appointment in Göttingen in 1895 and ended with his death on 14 February 1943 when Nazi Germany had already entered its death throes. It would be difficult to exaggerate the contrast between these two phases, just as it remains difficult to picture life in Germany before the onset of the two world wars that so decisively shaped the course of twentieth century history.