▁G urt we il , ▁in ▁the ▁Grand ▁Duch y ▁of ▁Baden ▁( now ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Wald sh ut - T ien gen , ▁Germany ), ▁the ▁second ▁son ▁of ▁Lor enz ▁Jordan ▁and ▁Not burg a ▁Peter . ▁Although ▁he ▁felt ▁called ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁priest ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁age , ▁the ▁pover ty ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁did ▁not ▁allow ▁him ▁to ▁do ▁the ▁required ▁studies . ▁Instead ▁he ▁became ▁an ▁it iner ant ▁labor er ▁and ▁painter . ▁▁ ▁Through ▁his ▁travel s ▁throughout ▁Germany , ▁he ▁became ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁government ' s ▁official ▁policies ▁restrict ing ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Church , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Kultur k ampf , ▁which ▁was ▁resulting ▁in ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁faithful . ▁ ▁Finally ▁sp ur red ▁by ▁the ▁situation , ▁Jordan ▁gave ▁up ▁his ▁work ▁and ▁began ▁the ▁academic ▁studies ▁required ▁for ▁Holy ▁Or ders . ▁He ▁initially ▁had ▁private ▁less ons ▁from ▁local ▁cler gy ▁and ▁then ▁attended ▁a ▁secondary ▁school ▁in ▁Const ance . ▁Despite ▁his ▁struggle ▁with ▁the ▁sciences , ▁he ▁developed ▁a ▁talent ▁for ▁foreign ▁languages . ▁For ▁his ▁gradu ation ▁exam ination , ▁he ▁presented ▁one ▁ess ay ▁in ▁eight ▁European ▁languages ▁and ▁another ▁one ▁in ▁four ▁other ▁languages . ▁Having ▁successfully ▁completed ▁his ▁initial ▁studies , ▁he ▁then ▁proceeded ▁to ▁en roll ▁at ▁the ▁Albert - L ud wig s ▁University ▁in ▁Fre ib urg ▁to ▁do ▁his ▁higher ▁studies ▁in ▁the ▁fields ▁of