David Hochter was born on September 7, 1856, on the Hochter farm as the third child of Samuel Hochter and Elsbeth Silbers. Unfortunately, his older brother Mozes Hochter passed away after complications at birth, which plunged the whole family into a period of sadness. His mother, Elsbeth, even fell into depression. When she found out she was pregnant with David, she feared that this child might also die. Elsbeth did not leave her bed, sang religious chants, and prayed that the baby would be fine. Although the stress took its toll on Elsbeth, David was born healthy and without any complications. For the first few weeks, Elsbeth did not leave his side, afraid that something might happen to him.

David was born into a Jewish family that struggled with extreme poverty. Like his father and older brother, Herman Hochter, David had to work on the farm. As he became older, he also worked on other farms, such as the neighbouring Lutz farm, in order to earn extra money for his family. However, it was barely enough. Like his brother, David dreams of going to school, but there is no money for that. Instead, he spends his free time reading any book he can get his hands on.

David has thick black hair, dark eyebrows, and soft pale skin. He inherited his father’s strong posture, but not his height – he measures only 1.45 meters, while his father was much taller at his age. Despite his mother Elsbeth’s constant worry due to the trauma of losing her other son Mozes, David is very adventurous and wants to explore the highest trees and deepest holes.