he studied sciences at the university of heidelberg. from october 1907 to august 1908, with herpetologist jean roux, he conducted scientific investigations in the aru and kei islands. in 1913 he obtained his habilitation at heidelberg with a dissertation on the flatworm genus "temnocephala". because of the 1935 nuremberg laws imposed by the nazis, he was forced to relinquish his position as deputy director at the senckenberg museum in frankfurt as well as his professorship at the university of heidelberg.