Served as mayor of Plech. Fought with the Prussians in Napoleonic Wars at Jena 14 October 1806. Did not like the Bavarian King.

After two years of planning and getting permission, he left Germany with wife and 9 of the 10 children in 1837. The two story home and store, today Haupstrade 16 in Plech, was sold on 13 January 1837 to Johann Meyer. They left the town on Monday, 10 July 1837 in their wagon. On July 11 and 12 they visited with the oldest child, Johan Georg, in Kulmbach. They travelled to Bremen on the Weser River and on to Cuxhaven, arriving on August 10th. At nine in the morning of August 14th they set sail on the 30 year old two masted Danish ship “Caecile & Sophie” with 98 German passengers and a crew of 10 people. They arrived in New York on Friday, October 30, 1837. After three days there, they traveled up the Hudson River and through the Erie Canal to Buffalo. After two weeks there, they took a steamer across Lake Erie to Clevland, planning to continue through the Ohio Canal to Portsmouth and on to St. Louis, but cold weather caused the boat to stop at Circleville, Ohio where the family settled.

Bought home in Circleville, Ohio after getting stopped there by winter weather on the way west from New York. The family ended up staying there until 1841-1849. Engaged in grocery business and soap and candle making.

Died four days after he arrived in Burlington, Iowa.