Gustav Mahler most likely received his elementary education at the parish boys’ school of St. Ignatius, located on what is today Křížová Street. Very little is known about this period of his life, as no school records have survived.
In the autumn of 1869, Mahler entered the German Grammar School at Hluboká Street No. 1, then called Im Jesuitengarten (from 1878 Tiefegasse). The building, dating from 1727 with an addition from the mid-19th century, still stands today and now houses the Jihlava Municipal Library.
During his first semester, Mahler drew attention for his honesty when he returned a lost wallet containing a large sum of money — the story was publicly announced throughout the town and earned him recognition.
Mahler’s school performance was good in the early years — he ranked 22nd out of 49 students in his first year and 16th out of 40 in his second.
By this time, Mahler had already given his first public piano performance (13 October 1870 at the Jihlava City Theatre). His father Bernard, proud of his son’s achievements, arranged for him to continue his studies at a grammar school in Prague.
In Prague, Gustav lived with Professor Grünfeld’s family in the Old Town, where he also studied music. However, his studies there were unsuccessful — overwhelmed by the higher demands, he failed most subjects and had to return to Jihlava, where he resumed his studies with better results.
Mahler completed the sixth year of his grammar school studies. Through the recommendation of Gustav Schwarz, the manager of the Moravany estate, his father decided to send him to the Vienna Conservatory — on the condition that he would first finish grammar school and pass the final exams. "This is a born musician!", Julius Epstein at acceptance test during which Mahler also prided himself on his own creations.
For the next two years, Gustav attended the Jihlava grammar school as a private student, returning to the town for examinations and spending his holidays there.
To support the school, Mahler organized a benefit concert on 12 September 1876 in the large hall of the Czap Hotel to raise funds for teaching materials. His academic performance, however, declined — his final semester ended with four failing grades.
He withdrew from the regular examination date on 6 July 1877, but later appeared before the committee on 12 September, which allowed him to pass.
During his grammar school years, Mahler formed friendships that lasted throughout his life. Among them were Josef Steiner, Guido Adler — later a distinguished Viennese musicologist — Emil Freund, Mahler’s legal adviser, and Theodor Fischer, son of Jihlava’s music teacher.
In October 1877, Mahler entered the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Vienna, where he studied philosophy, history, and music history for two years. In June 1878, he successfully completed the Vienna Conservatory, and in May 1880, he obtained his first conducting engagement at the summer theatre in Bad Hall, Upper Austria.
