Ludwig Hohlwein Biography

Ludwig Hohlwein (1874-1949) was a German poster artist, a pioneer of the Sachplakat style. He trained and practiced as an architect in Munich before he switched to poster design.

Hohlwein was born in the Rhine-Main region of Germany, though he and his work are associated with Munich and Bavaria in southern Germany. There were two schools of "Gebrauchsgrafik" in Germany at the time, North and South. Hohlwein's high tonal contrasts and a network of interlocking shapes made his work instantly recognisable.

A large portion of his work dates to 1908-1925. His style usually consists of sharply defined forms, bright colours, a good portion of humour and textured patterns. By 1925, he had already designed 3000 different advertisements.

During World War II, he was a member of the Nazi party and worked closely with Joseph Goebbels and The Ministry of Propaganda and Enlightenment. And as an ardent nationalist, indicated by his work for the government during both World Wars, he urged other artists to join the effort when Hitler came to power in 1933.

Holhwein’s posters for Nazi Germany are the most dramatic examples of National Socialist realism.

His work was also part of the art competitions at the 1932 Summer Olympics and the 1936 Summer Olympics.