He proved to be an able student while in school from 1820 to 1826 but his poverty prevented him from furthering his education despite his commitment to pursue additional studies. In 1831 he travelled to Cologne as a shoemaker's assistant and soon became shocked with the living conditions of the working class that lived there and this proved to be definitive in influencing his decision to become a priest; he remained a shoemaker until 1841. In summer 1834 he attended the Three Kings School and afterwards in 1841 began his theological education in Munich (1841–42) at the college there as well as later in Bonn (1842–44) and Cologne (26 March 1844 – 1845). His time spent on his studies saw him become friends with the future Bishop of Mainz Wilhelm Emmanuel von Ketteler.