Education
He studied theology at the University of Jena, and in 1834 became a pastor in Bahlingen.
He studied theology at the University of Jena, and in 1834 became a pastor in Bahlingen.
He was the father of paleontologist Karl Alfred von Zittel (1839–1904). From 1857 to 1865, he was an editor of the popular journal Der Sonntagabend.
From 1842 onward, he was a member of the second chamber in the Baden Ständeversammlung, where in September 1845, he made a proposal in favor of Religionsfreiheit (freedom of religion), a motion that gained notoriety at the time. In 1848 he became a pastor in Heidelberg, and during the same year, became a member of the Frankfurt Parliament as a representative of Karlsruhe.