 From 1883 to 1893 he was associated with the "Seezollverwaltung" (customs administration) in China.In 1895 he received his doctorate from the University of Leipzig, and afterwards worked for the Austrian diplomatic service; serving as a legation secretary and counselor in China, and later as an envoy in Tehran (1906–11) and Beijing (1911–17).In 1922 he was named an honorary professor at the University of Vienna, where up until 1939, he taught classes in Chinese language, literature and history.