Carl Benz was born in Karlsruhe on November 25, 1844, the son of an engine driver. His father died just two years after Carl’s birth. Despite her limited financial means, his mother ensured that he received a good education.
Carl Benz attended high school, then studied at the Polytechnic College in Karlsruhe. This was followed by two years of practical study at Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft in Karlsruhe. Carl Benz was given his first paid employment as a technical draughtsman and designer by a manufacturer of weighing machines in Mannheim. On losing this position in 1868 he joined an engineering company which was primarily involved in bridge-building. This employment was followed by a short period in Vienna, likewise with a structural ironworking company.