Marries Helma Fischer.

First collage using gathered

trash.

Founded the “circle of new commercial artists” with Cesar Domela, Lázlo Moholy-Nagy

and Friedrich Vordemberge-Gil-dewart. Willi Baumeister and

Walter Dexel later joined.

Schwitters dies in Westmorland. His work becomes internation-ally recognized. Later inspires artists such as Robert Rauschenberg.

Self exile to Norway to flee

German troops.

First epileptic seizure.

Attends the Royal Sax-on Academy of Art in

Dresden.

“In the war, things were in terrible turmoil. What I had learned at the acade-

my was of no use to me and the useful new ideas were still unready.... Everything had broken down and new things had to be made out of the fragments; and this

is Merz. It was like a revolu-tion within me, not as it was, but as it should have been.”

-Schwitters

“His art and literary texts became a Dadaist institution in Hanover, which he called “Merz”, a frag-

ment of the word ‘Commerzbank.’” -Schwitters-Kurt.com

Kurt Hermann Eduard Karl Julyus Schwitters is born in

Hanover, Germany.

June 20, 1887

August 1914 Kurt Schwitters

March 12- June 19, 1917

October 5, 1915

1918

1923 1927

January 8, 1948

1937

1901

World War I breaks out and Schwitters

returns home.

1909-1915

1919

Publishes Anna Blume, a collection

of his poems and prose.

DADA

First issue of Merz magazine is

published. Schwitters works as a graphic art-ist and typographer for multiple companies in

Germany.

1917 Shows interest in expres-

sionalism and abstract art.

Drafted in the war. Becomes a soldier in the Reichs-Infanterieregiment 73. After three months, Schwitters is sent home and declared unfit for service due to his

epilepsy.

Kurt Schwitters is credited as the one who inspired the

pop art movement.

Timeline by Alexandra Fileccia