Editing Nico (section)

==Early life==
Nico was born Christa Päffgen in [[Cologne]] to Wilhelm and Margarete "Grete" Päffgen (née Schulz, 1910–1970).<ref name=":0" /> Wilhelm was born into the wealthy [[w:de:Päffgen Kölsch|Päffgen Kölsch]] master brewer family dynasty in Cologne and was [[Catholic Church in Germany|Catholic]], while Grete came from a lower-class background and was [[Protestantism in Germany|Protestant]].<ref name="Witts">{{Cite book |title=Nico: The Life and Lies of an Icon |last=Witts |first=Richard |publisher=Virgin Books |year=1995 |isbn=978-0863696558|location=London}}</ref> When Nico was two years old, she moved with her mother and grandfather to the [[Spreewald]] forest outside [[Berlin]] to escape the [[World War II]] [[Bombing of Cologne in World War II|bombardments of Cologne]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone: The Biography of Nico |first=Jennifer |last=Otter Bickerdike |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rmUBEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT14 |author-link=Jennifer Otter Bickerdike |year=2021 |page=14 |publisher=Faber & Faber |isbn=978-1549167270}}</ref>

Her father was conscripted into the ''[[Wehrmacht]]'' at the onset of the war, but there are several conflicting accounts as to when and how he died. According to biographer [[Richard Witts]] in his 1995 book ''Nico: The Life and Lies of an Icon'', Wilhelm Päffgen was gravely wounded in 1942 after having been shot in the head by a French sniper. With no certainty that he would survive, his commanding officer, following standing orders, ended Päffgen's life by gunshot.<ref name="Witts" /> Another story is that he sustained head injuries that caused severe [[brain damage]], and spent the rest of his life in a [[psychiatric institution]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Gabe |last=Mirkin |date=28 September 2016 |title=Nico died senseless death after falling from bicycle without helmet |url=https://www.villages-news.com/2016/09/28/nico-died-senseless-death-falling-bicycle-without-helmet/ |newspaper=[[The Village News]] |access-date=13 November 2021}}</ref> According to unproven rumours, he was variously said to have died in a [[concentration camp]],<ref name="heroine">{{cite AV media notes |title=Heroine |others=Nico |year=29 August 1994 |first=Pat |last=Gilbert |type=CD booklet |publisher=Anagram Records |id=CDMGRAM85 |location=United Kingdom |quote=She was related to Hermann Päffgen, a dynastic master brewer who founded the Päffgen brewery in 1883 in Cologne.}}</ref><ref name="shortbio" /> or to have faded away as a result of [[shell shock]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Reynolds |url=http://reynoldsretro.blogspot.com/2007/12/nico-inner-scar-directors-cut-guardian.html |title=Nico: The Inner Scar director's cut |newspaper=The Guardian |date=16 March 2007 |access-date=27 October 2013 |via=ReynoldsRetro}}</ref>

In 1946, Nico and her mother relocated to Berlin, where Grete worked as a [[seamstress]]. Nico attended school until the age of 13, and began selling lingerie in the exclusive department store [[KaDeWe]], eventually getting modelling jobs in Berlin.<ref name="shortbio" /> At {{convert|5|ft|10|in|cm|abbr=on}}, and with chiseled features and pale skin, Nico rose to prominence as a fashion model when still a teenager.<ref>{{Cite book |title=White Light/ White Heat: The Velvet Underground Day by Day |last=Unterberger |first=Richie |author-link=Richie Unterberger |publisher=Jawbone |year=2009 |isbn=978-1906002220 |location=London |page=9}}</ref>