I was born at Ulm, in Württemberg, Germany, on March 14, 1879. Six weeks later my family moved to Munich, where I later on began my schooling at the Luitpold Gymnasium. Later, we moved to Italy and I continued my education at Aarau, Switzerland and in 1896 I entered the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School in Zurich to be trained as a teacher in physics and mathematics. In 1901, the year i gained my diploma, I acquired Swiss citizenship. In 1905 I obtained my doctor's degree.