It was in 1949 that Koepcke obtained her doctorate in zoology from the University of Kiel. During her time in Kiel, she met her future husband, Hans-Wilhelm Koepcke, also a student of zoology.
In 1949, Dr. Koepcke received her doctorate in zoology from the University of Kiel. While studying there, she met and married her future husband, Hans-Wilhelm Koepcke, another zoologist.