Wilhelm von Gottberg was born in 1940, the son of Hans Heinrich von Gottberg (1900–1973) and his wife Gertrud, née Freiin von der Goltz (1908–1997). He was descended of two noble families, the Gottberg family and the Von der Goltz family. He was born in Woopen in Landkreis Bartenstein (now Poland), East Prussia. His family fled from East Prussia during World War II.