Who am I and why am I like this? Around 500,000 adopted individuals in Germany bear the barely comprehensible burden of uncertain origins. This volume introduces readers to those affected and their fates in a careful yet compelling manner. Their search over years and decades, their stories, and their suffering in and through uncertainty reveal how deeply the question of origin shapes and moves us all. If the search for biological parents is successful and the long-awaited meeting occurs, this moment is not solely about getting to know the long-sought individuals. Rather, this moment primarily represents a significant step on the journey of encountering one's own self. Like few other studies before it, this volume combines the precision of scientific analysis with the art of sensitive conversation and profound problem recognition.