Schnackenburg spent his childhood in
Liegnitz and finished secondary school there (at the "Gymnasium Johanneum") in 1932. He then studied philosophy and theology at the
University of Breslau and at the
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. In 1937, he earned his doctoral degree from the University of Breslau for a dissertation written under Friedrich Wilhelm Maier on "faith" in the
Gospel of John. In the same year, he was ordained a priest by Cardinal
Adolf Bertram and began pastoral work in Silesia until he was expelled from there in 1946. He then earned his
habilitation degree in New Testament Exegesis in 1947 with
Das Heilsgeschehen bei der Taufe nach dem Apostel Paulus (Salvation through Baptism according to the Apostle Paul). His habilitation advisor was Friedrich Wilhelm Maier, then at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, which is where Schnackenburg was made
Privatdozent in 1948. From 1952 he was
Lecturer in New Testament Exegesis at the Philosophisch-Theologischen Hochschule
Dillingen. In 1955, Schnackenburg was made full professor at the
University of Bamberg. From 1957 until 1982, he was Professor of New Testament at the
University of Würzburg. After his retirement, he was chaplain in a retirement home and worked with the
Community of Sant'Egidio. == Work ==