In 1811 his teacher at the Cieszyn gymnasium included Albin Heinrich (1785-1864), a famous mineralogist who introduced him to the collections of Leopold Jan Šeršník (1747–1814).

Although he sought to study medicine, his family means were insufficient and he returned to Bielsko in 1817 and worked as a private tutor.

He studied anatomy under Christian Joseph Berres and botany under Ernst Wittmann, joining the latter on expeditions.

He was removed by the Austrian government from the university position and banished from Lviv when he sided with a radical political body of teachers and students influenced by the Spring of Nations (Wiosna Ludów).

He then moved to Brno around 1853 or 54 and joined the Realschule under the headmaster Joseph Auspitz who himself was involved in student uprisings.

Abbot Napp wrote to Mendel that the Bishop had found his pea genealogies too funny and suggested that he cultivated potatoes instead.