 From his father, who died at Wildaad in 1514, Johann Alexander received an excellent education, which brought his intellectual powers to at early maturity, enabling him to matriculate at the University of Tübingen 13 January 1514 and take his degree as Master of Arts in 1517.His younger brother was Johann Ludwig Brassicanus, an advisor to the Habsburgs.About the time of his graduation he first gave evidence of his fertile poetic powers, and in 1518 he received the title of "Poeta et orator laureatus".