He was educated in Leobschütz (Czech: Hlubčice, Polish: Głubczyce). He studied Slavic languages at the Faculty of Philology in Innsbruck and in the University of Breslau (German: Universität Breslau; Latin: Universitas Wratislaviensis; Polish: Uniwersytet Wrocławski).
He was an author of several books on Silesian language, and a creator of the Steuer's Silesian Alphabet (Silesian: Steuerowy szrajbůnek).
World war I
During World War I, he fought in the Western Front where was injured and lost his leg. After the war he was a director in two gymnasiums in Katowice (Upper Silesia).