[2] Richard Hoche was born in Aschersleben, a small town located approximately halfway between Magdeburg and Leipzig.

On his mother's side he was a nephew of the regional schools governor Christian Wilhelm Ludwig Eduard Suffrian (1805–1876).

Richard Hoche attended secondary school in Zeitz before moving on to Berlin University where between 1852 and 1855 he studied classical philology and history.

On 16 April 1874 the city mayor, Gustav Heinrich Kirchenpauer enacted the appointment, and Hoche joined the governing body the next day.

Along with his work in teaching and school administration Hoche became known for various reviews, lectures and speeches that were published, but are no longer readily available.