 His mother tried to make a living by running a small shop; she soon remarried, but due to Mrs. Wagner's many affairs, the marriage ended in divorce when Ernst was seven years old.Ernst Wagner, who was known as the "widow's boy" in the village, suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts, though he was quite intelligent and did well enough at school to earn a public stipend.In this way, despite his poverty, he was able to study and become a teacher.