1870
born in Wedel on January 2nd as the eldest son of Johanna Luise Barlach and
Dr. Georg Barlach

1872
relocation to Schönberg (Mecklenburg)

1876
the family move to Ratzeburg, where the father works as a country doctor

1884
the father dies, the mother returns to Schönberg together with her four sons

1888
achieves school certificate from the Großherzogliche Realschule (Grand Duke Secondary School) in Schönberg

1888
attends the Allgemeine Gewerbeschule (General Vocational School) in Hamburg
(class of modellers)

1891-1895
student at the Königliche Akademie der bildenden Künste (Royal Academy of Fine Arts) in Dresden, master class with Robert Diez, final assignment „Krautpflückerin" ("Herb Plucking Woman")

1895
publishes tuitional book "Figürliches Zeichnen" ("Figurative Drawing")

1895-1897
visits Paris (April 1895 to May 1896, and March 1897 to July 1897),
Académie Julian et al.

1896-1900
brief sojourns with his mother in Friedrichroda/Thüringen

1898
sculptures for the Town Hall Altona in Hamburg together with Carl Garbers

1899
relocation to Berlin

1900
first meeting with publisher Reinhard Piper in January

1901
returns to his native town of Wedel

1903-1904
cooperation with the pottery Mutz, Hamburg-Altona

1904
teaching assignment at the Königliche Keramische Fachhochschule
(Royal College of Ceramics) in Höhr

1905
returns to Berlin

1906
travels to Russia to meet his brother Hans Barlach from August 3rd to September 27th, 1906; his son Nikolaus is born in Berlin on August 20th, 1906

1907
participates successfully in the exhibition of Berliner Secession with his sculptures „Blinder russischer Bettler"("Blind Russian Beggar") and „Russische Bettlerin mit Schale"("Russian Beggar Woman with Bowl"); concludes a contract with art dealer Paul Cassirer, who takes over all his works for a fixed annual salary; collaboration with the "Simplizissimus"

1908
member of Berliner Secession

1909
awardee of Villa Romana Prize; studentship in Florence; encounters poet
Theodor Däubler

1910
relocation to Güstrow to mother and son 1912
publication of the first drama „Der tote Tag"("The Dead Day")

1913
travels to the Baltic coastline in Mecklenburg together with Theodor Däubler; works on the novel "Seespeck"

1914
starts writing "Güstrow Diary" after the beginning of World War I

1915
reservist with landsturm in Sonderburg (today Danish) from December 7th,
1915 to February 19th, 1916

1917
first extensive exhibition at the Kunstsalon Paul Cassirer, Berlin

1918
publication of the drama „Der arme Vetter"("The Poor Cousin")

1919
member of the Preußische Akademie der Künste (Academy of the Arts), Berlin; premieres of „The Dead Day" in Leipzig and „The Poor Cousin"in Hamburg

1920
the mother dies; publication of the drama "Die echten Sedemunds"
("The Genuine Sedemunds")

1921
premiere of the drama "The Genuine Sedemunds" in Hamburg; preparatory work for the honour board for the Nicolai Church in Kiel

1922
publication of the drama „The Foundling"

1924
awardee of the Kleist-Preis (Kleist Award) for the drama "Die Süntflut"
("The Flood"), premiered in Stuttgart

1926
publication and premiere of the drama "Der blaue Boll" ("The Blue Boll") in Stuttgart; retrospective of wooden sculptures at the Kunstsalon Paul Cassirer

1927
installation of the „Güstrower Ehrenmals"("Güstrow Cenotaph") in Güstrow Cathedral

1928
installation of the bronze „Geistkämpfer"("The Spiritual Fighter") in front of the University Church in Kiel; publication of the autobiography "Ein selbsterzähltes Leben" ("A Selftold Life")

1929
unveiling of the wooden sculpture „Magdeburger Ehrenmal"("Magdeburg Cenotaph") in Magdeburg Cathedral, nationalistic attacks on Barlach;
publication of the drama "Die gute Zeit" ("The Good Time")

1930
exhibitions on the occasion of his 60th birthday at the Kunsthalle Kiel and the Preußische Akademie der Künste Berlin; project „Gemeinschaft der Heiligen" ("Confraternity of the Saints") for the Katharinen Church in Lübeck

1931
moves into the studio of the new house near the Inselsee in Güstrow; dedication of the relief „Hamburger Ehrenmal" ("Hamburg Cenotaph") on the market square in front of Hamburg's City Hall

1933
speech broadcasted as part of the series "Künstler zur Zeit"("Artists' Comments
on Today's Issues") against the situation of ideological restraint in Germany; bestowal of the order „Pour le Mérite" für Wissenschaften und Künste"

1934
the „Magdeburg Cenotaph" is removed from Magdeburg Cathedral and stored in the Berliner Nationalgalerie

1935
finishes the set of sculptures „Fries der Lauschenden" ("Frieze of the Listeners") für Hermann F. Reemtsma

1936
the book "Ernst Barlach - Zeichnungen" published by the Piper publishing house is ordererd to be confiscated

1937
exhibition "Entartete Kunst" ("Degenerate Art"); ban on exhibitions; forced withdrawal from the Preußische Akademie der Künste, dismantling of the "Spiritual Fighter" in Kiel, removal of the "Güstrow Cenotaph" from Güstrow Cathedral

1938
the Senate of Hamburg decides on the destruction of the relief "Hamburg Cenotaph"; on October 24th Barlach dies in Rostock, he is interred in Ratzeburg (graveyard on Seedorfer Straße); commemorative exhibition in New York

Please find sculptures and graphics classified according to their years of origin in the picture library