Hans Baron von Stackelberg comes from the eponymous noble family, initially German and later Baltic. After the first mention of the surname Stackelberg in the records of the cities of Cologne and Riga in the 13th century, the true lineage of the family begins in the Baltic region in the early 16th century. Hans Baron von Stackelberg was born in 1924 in Reval, Estonia, and after finishing high school, he joined the German Navy. Later, he served as the commander of the sailing training ship "Gorch Fock" and is a member of the Sail Training Association Germany.