From 1881 he studied at the University of Vienna, where his instructors were Wilhelm von Hartel and Karl Schenkl for philology, and Otto Benndorf for classical archaeology.
In 1898 he succeeded Otto Benndorf as professor of archaeology at the University of Vienna, where later, he was appointed dean (1910/11) and rector (1916/17).
[1] In 1907 he was named vice-director of the Austrian Archaeological Institute (ÖAI), where three years later, he replaced Robert von Schneider as director.
Under his leadership, the institute conducted excavations at Elis (from 1910) and Aigeira (from 1914) in Greece, and resumed excavatory work at Ephesus in Asia Minor (from 1911).
After World War I, he was in charge of excavations at Carnuntum (Petronell-Carnuntum), Lauriacum (Enns) and Virunum (Zollfeld) in Austria.