Köhler was born in Bautzen, the son of a house servant and his mother was a Sorb.
He had an interest in the natural sciences and taught botany, mineralogy, local history and mathematics as a private tutor in Bellwitz near Löbau (1852) and at a school in Großschönau and at Bautzen.
In 1860 he received a doctorate from the University of Leipzig and in 1873 he became a senior teacher at the royal teaching seminary in Schneeberg.
He retired in 1897 and lived with his daughters in Aue due to failing eyesight.
[1] Köhler published a history of Upper Lusatia, wrote about local customs, legends, beliefs and sayings.