Born in Bremen, he studied at the Universities of Jena, Munich and Kiel, earning his doctorate at the latter institution in 1896.
In his studies he was influenced by instructors such as Simon Schwendener (1829–1919), Friedrich Wilhelm Zopf (1846–1909) and Johannes Reinke (1849–1931).
During the later part of his career he served as director of the botanical garden in Göttingen.
[1] In the field of lichenology, he conducted anatomical and developmental studies on the thallus of lichens.
He performed significant research involving the lichen genus Parmelia (Hypogymnia).