 He studied classical philology at Bonn and Berlin, obtaining his doctorate in 1885 with the thesis "De dialectis Aeolicis quae dicuntur".From 1885 to 1910 he taught classes in Frankfurt an der Oder, where he came under the influence of botanist Ernst Huth (1845–1897).From 1910 onward, he was an instructor at the gymnasium in Sorau.