His family were of Jewish origins, his father being a lawyer. Lanczos attended a Jewish elementary school where he learn several foreign languages, then he entered the local Gymnasium which was a Catholic school run by the Cistercians.
Lanczos dinaluhan ng isang Hudyo elementarya kung saan siya malaman ang ilang mga banyagang wika, at pagkatapos ay siya ang pumasok sa lokal na himnasyo na kung saan ay isang Katoliko paaralan tatakbo sa pamamagitan ng Cistercians.