Biographical data of Ernst Barlach

1870       Born in Wedel (Holstein) on 2. January

1884       Death of his father. Barlach spent his youth in Wedel, Schönberg and Ratzeburg

1888        Student at the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule (General Vocational School)
                in Hamburg.

1891        Studies at the Kunstakademie, Dresden (Royal Academy of Fine Arts).
                Master student of Prof. Robert Dietz (from 1892)

1895        Final exam at the Kunstakademie, Dresden. His Final assignment is the
                sculpture “Krautpflückerin”
                Studies in Paris at the Académie Julian (1897 second visit to Paris )

1899       First stay in Berlin. Acquaintance with the publisher Reinhard Piper and
                the author Karl Scheffler

1901       Lives and works in Wedel. Designs for ceramics at the pottery Mutz in Altona

1904       Teaching assignment at the Keramische Fachschule in Höhr-Grenzhausen,
                Westerwald.
                First exhibition of his ceramics and his drawings at Kunstsalon Mutz in Berlin

1906       Travels with his brother Nikolaus to Russia, a journey that proves to be very
                important for his artistic development. Birth of his son Nikolaus

1907       Friendschip with the sculptor August Gaul. Barlach becomes member of the
                artist’ association Berliner Sezession.

1908       Participation at the winter exhibition of Berliner Sezession
                (sculptures and drawings). First wooden sculptures. Contract with
                the art-dealer Paul Cassirer.

1909       Awardee of Villa Romana Prize, Florence (Italy).
                Friendship with the poet Theodor Däubler

1910       Moves to Güstrow to his mother, who is taking care of his son.
                Participates at the first exhibition of the Sonderbund in Düsseldorf and
                at the 21. exhibition of Berliner Sezession.

1914       Barlach is elected to the Board of Freie Sezession.
                Friendship with Friedrich Schult

1915       Reservist with Landsturm in Sonderburg

1917       First solo exhibition at the Kunstsalon Paul Cassirer in Berlin

1919       Member of Preußische Akademie der Künste (Prussian Academy of the Arts)
                Premieres of his dramas „Der arme Vetter“ (in Hamburg) and „Der tote Tag“
                (in Leipzig)

1924       Awardee of the Kleist Award for his dramas

1925       Acquaitance with the couple Bernhard and Marga Böhmer. Marga Böhmer later
                became his life partner.

1926       Retrospective of his wooden sculptures at the Kunstsalon Paul Cassirer

from 1927         Public contracts for several war-memorials, for example in Güstrow, Kiel,
                         Hamburg and Magdeburg

1929       The unveiling of the wooden memorial in Magdeburg intensifies attacks from
                right-wingers against Barlach. As a result Barlach withdraws his designs for a
                memorial in Malchin (Mecklenburg)

1930        Big Retrospective on the occasion of the 60. birthday of the artist in Berlin,
                Essen, Kiel and Lübeck. Construction of a new studio at Heidberg, Güstrow.                                         Contract with Alfred Flechtheim concering casting of bronzes from plaster
                models.

1933       Barlach gives radio address in which he protests against the forced expulsion
                of Käthe Kollwitz and Heinrich Mann from the Akademie der Künste.

1934       Exhibition at Kunsthalle, Bern.
                Acquaintance with Hermann F. Reemtsma, who supports Barlach

1936       Barlachs works were confiscated at the anniversary exhibition of the
                Akademie der Künste

1937        His works are removed from major German Museums. Removal of his memorials
                in Kiel and Güstrow. Forced resignation from the Akademie der Künste, Berlin.                                 Barlach is banned from exhibiting.

1938       Ernst Barlach dies on October, 24.
               Commemorative exhibition at Buchholz Gallery, New York.