Hoffmann studied law at the University of Königsberg from where he graduated when he was only 16 years old. He finished his studies in Glogau and Berlin. His first job was in Posen. He married in 1802, but in the same year he had to leave his job because he had made fun of some people in his caricature drawings. He soon went to Warsaw where he worked as a lawyer as well as meeting famous writers. He composed music, including a symphony, a harp quintet and music for plays. Because of the political situation after the French invasion in 1806 he lost his job. He tried to get a job in Berlin but without success. In 1808 he went to Bamberg where he spent five years. His job there was as a conductor and theatre designer. He fell in love with a young girl called Julia Marc and composed sacred music and operas. He wrote musical criticism as well as stories for the newspaper "Allgemeine Musikalische Zeitung". These include the famous short stories "Ritter Gluck", "Don Juan" and the series called "Kreisleriana" ("Johannes Kreislers, des Kapellmeisters musikalische Leiden", i.e. "The musical suffering of the Director of Music Johannes Kreisler").