Charlotte was born Dec. 3, 1989, in Braunschweig, Germany. She was self-assured, determined, curious, and playful. She balanced an international lifestyle, rigorous academic studies, and demanding athletic pursuits with grace. Charlotte remained modest and never failed to make time for the people she loved — always a fierce and loyal friend.
Charlotte graduated from the Wilhelm Gymnasium in Braunschweig in 2009. She spent a year of high school abroad with the Pidgeon family in Norfolk, Va. She returned to the United States to attend Princeton.
Charlotte majored in architecture with a certificate in visual arts. She was prolific in the classroom. Charlotte was on the field hockey team and led it to four Ivy League championships and the program’s first-ever National Championship title her senior year. She was excited about discovering the world, yet never missed a holiday at home with her family.
Charlotte moved to Austria after Princeton to continue her architecture studies at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. There, with the love of her life, Lukas Schmidt, she built a close community of friends.
Charlotte is survived by her parents, Heidi and Andreas; siblings Johannes, Anna, and Philipp; and her partner, Lukas. She is also survived by her American family, Brenda and Bill Pidgeon and their children, Nicole, Anna, and Jonathan.