He was born Franz Frühwirth in the village of St. Anna am Aigen, located in the Province of Styria, Austria.

Frühwirth joined the Dominican Order on 13 September 1863 in Graz and received the religious name of Andreas.

He was consecrated on 30 November at the German national church of Santa Maria dell'Anima in Rome, by Rafael Merry del Val, Cardinal Secretary of State, assisted by Diomede Panici, titular archbishop of Laodicea, secretary of the Congregation of Rites, and by Giuseppe Cecchini, titular bishop of Alicarnasso, Archpriest of Altamura and Acquaviva delle Fonti.

Frühwirth was created a Cardinal Priest by Pope Benedict XV in the consistory of 6 December 1915, with his titular church the Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano, at which time the title was raised from a deaconry to a presbytery.

Frühwirth later participated in the conclave of 1922 that elected Pope Pius XI who appointed him Major Penitentiary on 8 January 1925, with his holding the post until 9 December 1927.