Although this was not conducive to learning the classics, it had the benefit of showing him things from several points of view and taught him the Danish language well.
Strodtmann then became a student at the University of Bonn where he especially became devoted to Gottfried Kinkel; however, after a short time, he was suspended because of his political activities.
He went to Paris, to London, and in 1852, he sailed for America, and with help from his father, the not-very-practical ex-student entered the book trade in Philadelphia, buying, selling and lending, as well as publishing a literary magazine called Die Locomotive.
The business was not successful and closed in 1854, after which he traveled around the country pursuing literary interests, eventually settling in New York City.
He covered the Franco-Prussian War for several newspapers, and in 1871, he moved to a suburb of Berlin where he lived for the rest of his life.