While at Göttingen he had met Johanna Höpfner, the daughter of Ernst Höpfner who was the curator of university, but they could not marry while Sommerfeld was a privatdozent with insufficient income to support a wife.
Habang sa Gottingen niya matugunan Johanna Höpfner, ang mga anak na babae ng Ernst Höpfner na ang mga tagapangasiwa ng unibersidad, ngunit sila ay hindi-asawa habang Sommerfeld ay isang privatdozent na may sapat ang kinikita sa suporta ng asawa.