 He studied at the Gymnasium in Sagan (now Żagań) from 1852 to 1862, and then attended the Berlin Theological School, where he obtained his licentiate in 1866.He then taught at the Berlin School of Religion, teaching Hebrew and German to the upperclassmen and Latin and Greek to the younger students.From 1867 to 1868 he taught at the Dorotheenstädtische Realgymnasium, then at the Luisenstädtische Realschule until 1875.