The exact year that he arrived in Göttingen did not remain in Courant's mind. All his life, even in official documents for security clearance, he put it down variously—from as early as 1905 to as late as 1909. He could have ascertained that it was 1907 from the impressive Diplom which he brought with him to the United States, but he did not consider the date important. What he never forgot was how he came very soon under the spell of Göttingen and how very young he felt.