at the beginning of 1902, he left home. he first he lived in an emergency shelter, later in a basement apartment, and in 1904 he was fireman on the steam engine freight ship "amerika" which also traveled to the usa. he was a social democratic party member during 1903. on 1 february 1904, he joined the "central union of trade, transport and traffic workers of germany" and ascended to the chairman of the 'department carters'. in 1913, he supported a call of rosa luxemburg for a mass strike as a means of action of the spd to enforce political demands. from 1913 to 1914, he worked for a laundry as a coachman.