gustav reichardt was born in schmarsow. he received his first music lessons at the age of five from his father, the versatile educated countryside preacher rev. georg gustav zacharias reichardt (1766-1852). already, at the age of nine, he appeared on violin and piano. from 1809 to 1811, he received music lessons in neustrelitz and was a violinist in a local chapel. in 1811 he attended grammar school and then he began studying theology at the university of greifswald.