 After graduation, he worked at the "Allerheiligenhospital" in Breslau, and in 1852 remained in Breslau as an assistant at the medical clinic of Friedrich Theodor von Frerichs (1819–1885).In 1859 he became director of the polyclinic and a professor at the University of Breslau.From 1860 to 1864 he was director of the clinical medicine department at the University of Greifswald, afterwards holding down the same position at the University of Bonn.