He studied philology at the
University of Basel as a pupil of
Wilhelm Wackernagel, then furthered his education at the universities of
Bonn and
Göttingen, where his influences included
Wilhelm Müller and
Leo Meyer. In 1860 he received his doctorate from Göttingen with a dissertation on the Anglo-Saxon poet
Cædmon, titled Ueber die Dichtungen des Angelsachsen Caedmon und deren Verfasser. From 1860 up until his death, he taught classes in German language and literature at the cantonal school in St. Gallen. He was a member of the Historischer Verein des Kantons St.Gallen.[1][2]
Selected works
Zwei St. Gallische Minnesaenger: 1. Ulrich von Singenberg, der Truchsess. 2. Konrad von Landegg, der Schenk, 1866 – Two St. Gallen
minnesingers; Ulrich von Singenberg and Konrad von Landeck.
Johannes Kesslers Sabbata: Chronik der Jahre 1523-1539 (2 volumes, 1866–68) – Johannes Kessler's Sabbata, chronicle of the years 1523–1539.
Warhafftige Nuwe Zittung des jungst vergangnen Tutschen Kriegs, 1871.
Joachim von Watt als Geschichtschreiber, 1873 –
Joachim von Watt as a historian.
Deutsche historische Schriften: Auf Veranstaltung des Historischen Vereins des Kantons St. Gallen (as editor; 3 volumes, 1875–79) – German historical writings; from the Historical Association of the Canton St. Gallen.
Reallexicon der deutschen Altertümer, 1881 – Reallexicon of German antiquities.