Paul Kickstat studied science in Freiburg and was at the same time organ student with Gustav Knack.
From 1920 to 1921 he was a teacher for Music Theory at the Hamburg Conservatory.
From1924 to 1944 he was the cantor and organist of the Christiankirche in Hamburg.
He wrote much church music and was a teacher for various institutions.
Two of his students were Hans Friedrich Micheelsen and Detlef Kraus.