Schmidt was born in Frankfurt an der Oder and spent his youth in Neuzelle where his father held the post of corn clerk. At the age of 15 he became a private tutor at a forest ranger's farm near Neuzelle. When his father died in 1834, he first had to return to his parents' house, then attended the teachers' college in Neuzelle to train to be a teacher. He was employed in the Berlin community school service in 1837 and taught at the school for the poor.
