Karl Benz was born on 25 November 1884. His father, a locomotive driver, died when Karl was two. Despite living on limited financial means, his mother ensured that her son received a good education.
Karl Benz attended grammar school and later the Polytechnic University in Karlsruhe. He then completed a two-year period of practical training at the mechanical engineering company Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft in Karlsruhe. His employment began as a draughtsman and designer at a weighing machine factory in Mannheim. He lost his position in 1868 and joined a construction company specialising in bridge-building. After this he went to Vienna for a brief period to work for an iron construction company.