In 1904 he moved with his parents to Pretoria, where he later studied at Transvaal University.
From 1922 to 1924 he was a student at the University of Bonn (1922–24), later becoming a professor in Pretoria.
From 1940 to 1964 he served as inspector of the Botanical Garden at the University of Göttingen.
[1] During his career he collected plants in Transvaal, South-West Africa, Rhodesia, Mozambique and Natal.
[3] The H.G.W.J Schweickerdt Herbarium (PRU) at the University of Pretoria is named in his honour.