He initially studied medicine at the Universities of Tübingen and Berlin, but moved into theatre during the 1950s, during which he worked at the Staatstheater Stuttgart as actor and assistant stage director.
Ia awalnya belajar pengobatan di Universitas Tübingen dan Berlin, namun beralih ke teater pada 1950an, saat ia bekerja di Staatstheater Stuttgart sebagai aktor dan asisten sutradara panggung.