In 1803 he became a student of philosophy and theology at the University of Helmstedt, where Heinrich Henke was his most influential teacher; but the latter part of his university course was taken at Göttingen, where Johann Gottfried Eichhorn and Thomas Christian Tychsen were then at the height of their popularity.
Pada tahun 1803 ia menjadi mahasiswa filsafat dan teologi di Universitas Helmstedt, di mana Heinrich Henke adalah gurunya yang paling berpengaruh, tetapi bagian terakhir kuliahnya dijalani di Göttingen, di mana Johann Gottfried Eichhorn dan Thomas Christian Tychsen berada pada puncak popularitas mereka.