In the little town of Schweizer-Reneke, in the North West Province of South Africa, Irma Stern was born in 1894 to German Jewish parents. Her father had built a prosperous trading store and cattle farm there. Irma and her brother are brought to Cape Town by their mother after being interned during the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902) due to their father’s pro-Boer views. Following his discharge, the family travels to Germany, starting a pattern of frequent travel that will continue throughout her life.