, ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁municipal ▁district ▁Rudolf s heim - F ün f haus ▁of ▁Vienna . ▁His ▁early ▁training ▁took ▁place ▁at ▁the ▁Vienna ▁Kunst ge werb esch ule ▁( the ▁imperial ▁school ▁for ▁the ▁applied ▁arts ), ▁and ▁after ▁that ▁at ▁the ▁Kunst ak adem ie ▁( the ▁Academy ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ). ▁At ▁the ▁Academy , ▁he ▁studied ▁with ▁August ▁K üh ne ▁and ▁Edmund ▁H eller . ▁Upon ▁his ▁gradu ation , ▁he ▁was ▁app r entic ed ▁to ▁an ▁architect ural ▁sculpt or ,. ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁period ▁that ▁the ▁Ring straße ▁was ▁being ▁built ▁in ▁Vienna , ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁decor ated ▁buildings ▁were ▁being ▁built . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁draft ed ▁into ▁the ▁Aust rian ▁Army , ▁and ▁desert ed ▁while ▁on ▁leave . ▁He ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Austria ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁desert ion . ▁He ▁later ▁was ▁p ardon ed ▁by ▁Emperor ▁Franz ▁Josef ▁of ▁Austria , ▁who ▁hoped ▁to ▁l ure ▁the ▁famous ▁sculpt or ▁back ▁to ▁Vienna . ▁ ▁B itter ▁imm igr ated ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁He ▁applied ▁for ▁citizens hip , ▁and ▁set ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁with ▁a ▁firm ▁of ▁house ▁decor ators . ▁While ▁employed ▁with ▁this ▁firm , ▁at ▁age ▁ 2 1 , ▁he ▁competed ▁for ▁the ▁Ast or ▁mem orial ▁bronze ▁gates ▁of ▁Tr inity ▁Church ▁and ▁won . ▁The ▁work