He was educated at a Realgymnasium at Mannheim and then, after the age of 15, at the technical school of Karlsruhe, where he studied mathematics and modern languages.

In 1873, Ladenburg went to Kiel as professor of chemistry and director of the laboratory, remaining there until 1889 when he went to the University of Breslau in the same capacity.

He was made an honorary member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain in 1886 and received the Hanbury Medal for original research in chemistry in 1889.

He was also awarded the prestigious Davy Medal in 1905 "for his researches in organic chemistry, especially in connection with the synthesis of natural alkaloids".

[1] In Ghent, Ladenburg worked for 6 months with August Kekulé who introduced him to structural theory.