The Real Life Story of “The Fonz” Actor Henry Winkler

Henry Franklin Winkler was born October 30, 1945, in Manhattan, New York City. His parents, Harry and Ilse Winkler, were German Jewish refugees who had fled Nazi Germany before the Second World War. Their survival and escape from Europe formed the quiet but powerful backdrop to the family story that would shape Winkler’s early life.

The Winklers settled on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where Harry built a successful lumber import business. Although the family lived comfortably, the household carried the weight of its past. Harry and Ilse expected discipline, achievement, and seriousness from their children, expectations that would soon collide with Henry’s struggles in school.