 Shortly after his birth, his mother, Sophie Charlotte Bierreichel (1714–1792), separated from her husband, and, joining a theatrical company, toured with success in Poland and Russia.Subsequently she married Konrad Ernst Ackermann and appeared with his company in many German cities, finally settling in Hamburg.Young Schröder early showed considerable talent, but his childhood was rendered so unhappy by his stepfather that he ran away from home and learnt the trade of a shoemaker.