1913 Born on April 20th in Potsdam, son of Walter und Friedel Sprotte (née Henning). His father was a civil servant in the State Postal Headquarters. Karl Henning, the maternal grandfather, was a well-drilling master from Sanssouci. Ernst Wilhelm Sprotte, the paternal grandfather, was a landscape gardener. He was responsible for the evergreen plants in Sanssouci Park.

1921 First encounter with the works of August Macke, Franz Marc, Wassily Kandinsky, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Edward Munch and Karl Hagemeister during the Potsdam Summer of Culture in the Orangery in Sanssouci Park.

1927 First meeting with Karl Foerster.

1927-1930 Initial artistic training under the direction of Heinrich Basedow the Elder.

1929/30 Delphinium pictures in Karl Foerster’s garden in Bornim.

1931 A-level exams (Abitur) in Potsdam Grammar School.

1930-1933 Study under Karl Hagemeister, for a time as Hagemeister’s master apprentice \ Study periods in Lohme/Rügen.

1931-1932 Study at the Prussian Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin under Emil Orlik.

1933-1938 Continuation of studies under Kurt Wehlte (painting technique), Maximilian Klewer und Kurt Hadank (nude and portrait painting).

1935 First work trips to Nidden/Curonian Spit, Bornholm, and Copenhagen.
First sand and dune watercolors.

1913 Born on April 20th in Potsdam, son of Walter und Friedel Sprotte (née Henning). His father was a civil servant in the State Postal Headquarters. Karl Henning, the maternal grandfather, was a well-drilling master from Sanssouci. Ernst Wilhelm Sprotte, the paternal grandfather, was a landscape gardener. He was responsible for the evergreen plants in Sanssouci Park.

1921 First encounter with the works of August Macke, Franz Marc, Wassily Kandinsky, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Edward Munch and Karl Hagemeister during the Potsdam Summer of Culture in the Orangery in Sanssouci Park.

1927 First meeting with Karl Foerster.

1927-1930 Initial artistic training under the direction of Heinrich Basedow the Elder.

1929/30 Delphinium pictures in Karl Foerster’s garden in Bornim.

1931 A-level exams (Abitur) in Potsdam Grammar School.

1930-1933 Study under Karl Hagemeister, for a time as Hagemeister’s master apprentice \ Study periods in Lohme/Rügen.

1931-1932 Study at the Prussian Academy of Fine Arts in Berlin under Emil Orlik.

1933-1938 Continuation of studies under Kurt Wehlte (painting technique), Maximilian Klewer und Kurt Hadank (nude and portrait painting).

1935 First work trips to Nidden/Curonian Spit, Bornholm, and Copenhagen.
First sand and dune watercolors.

1936-1939 Study periods in Florence, Assisi, Arezzo, Siena, Paestum and Neapel \ Stay in the Villa Colombaia in Florence with Vincenz Howells \ Study of the old-masterly techniques in Potsdam-Bornstedt \ Working sojourn in Colfosco/Dolomites.

1940-1944 Call-up for military service, illness, discharge \ Brussels sprouts paintings.

1941 Publication with Hermann Kasack of the work “On the Chinese element in art” \ One-year marriage to actress Elisabeth Reich.

1944 Work trip to Hiddensee and to the Curonian Spit. Friendship with Anna Muthesius.

1945 First work trip to Colfosco after the war.

1946 Birth of his daughter, Sylvia.

1949 Trip to Colfosco.

1951 Start of the “Kampen studio conversation,” hosted by Sprotte for 50 years \ Trip to Colfosco und Bozen.

Since 1952 Sprotte’s working pattern sees him travelling annually from Sylt in the north to Italy, France, Greece and Portugal in the south.

1953-1954 Creation of the portrait series “Heads of the present” (Köpfe der Gegenwart) \ Meeting with Eugen Herrigel, Jean Gebser, Gustav Mensching, Hermann Hesse, José Ortega y Gasset, Karl Jaspers, Pascual Jordan, among others \ Trips to Colfosco, Merano and Corfu \ Visit to Hermann Hesse in Montagnola at Lake Lugano.

1936-1939 Study periods in Florence, Assisi, Arezzo, Siena, Paestum and Neapel \ Stay in the Villa Colombaia in Florence with Vincenz Howells \ Study of the old-masterly techniques in Potsdam-Bornstedt \ Working sojourn in Colfosco/Dolomites.

1940-1944 Call-up for military service, illness, discharge \ Brussels sprouts paintings.

1941 Publication with Hermann Kasack of the work “On the Chinese element in art” \ One-year marriage to actress Elisabeth Reich.

1944 Work trip to Hiddensee and to the Curonian Spit. Friendship with Anna Muthesius.

1945 First work trip to Colfosco after the war.

1946 Birth of his daughter, Sylvia.

1949 Trip to Colfosco.

1951 Start of the “Kampen studio conversation,” hosted by Sprotte for 50 years \ Trip to Colfosco und Bozen.

Since 1952 Sprotte’s working pattern sees him travelling annually from Sylt in the north to Italy, France, Greece and Portugal in the south.

1953-1954 Creation of the portrait series “Heads of the present” (Köpfe der Gegenwart) \ Meeting with Eugen Herrigel, Jean Gebser, Gustav Mensching, Hermann Hesse, José Ortega y Gasset, Karl Jaspers, Pascual Jordan, among others \ Trips to Colfosco, Merano and Corfu \ Visit to Hermann Hesse in Montagnola at Lake Lugano.

1955 Work trip to Tuscany.

1956 First meeting with Jiddu Krishnamurti \ Trip to Merano \ Writing of “The Duel”.

1957 Work trip to the Caribbean (West Indies), Venezuela, and Colombia.

1958 Decides to abandon painting portraits and all human images \ Concentrates on the dialogue of seeing and speaking \ Creation of the painting series “Song of the sea” (Gesang des Meeres).

1960 Marriage to Cosmea Ebert \ Birth of their son, Armin.

1961–1963 Discussions with Jiddu Krishnamurti and Aldous Huxley about the creativity of language.

1964 Trip to Oslo and visit to the Munch Museum.

1965-1967 Meeting with Herbert Read \ Painting series “The North Sea’s cry for help – Algae Emergency” (Hilferuf der Nordsee – Algennotstand) \ Trips to Naples and Capri.

1971 Picture series “Blue revolution” (Blaue Revolution) \ Commencement of weekly “Studio conversations” in Kampen.

1972 Publication of booklets from the “Kampen studio conversations.”

1975 Trip to Paris \ Death of Sprotte’s mother.

1955 Work trip to Tuscany.

1956 First meeting with Jiddu Krishnamurti \ Trip to Merano \ Writing of “The Duel”.

1957 Work trip to the Caribbean (West Indies), Venezuela, and Colombia.

1958 Decides to abandon painting portraits and all human images \ Concentrates on the dialogue of seeing and speaking \ Creation of the painting series “Song of the sea” (Gesang des Meeres).

1960 Marriage to Cosmea Ebert \ Birth of their son, Armin.

1961–1963 Discussions with Jiddu Krishnamurti and Aldous Huxley about the creativity of language.

1964 Trip to Oslo and visit to the Munch Museum.

1965-1967 Meeting with Herbert Read \ Painting series “The North Sea’s cry for help – Algae Emergency” (Hilferuf der Nordsee – Algennotstand) \ Trips to Naples and Capri.

1971 Picture series “Blue revolution” (Blaue Revolution) \ Commencement of weekly “Studio conversations” in Kampen.

1972 Publication of booklets from the “Kampen studio conversations.”

1975 Trip to Paris \ Death of Sprotte’s mother.

1975 Trip to Paris. Death of the mother.
First work trips to Caniço de Baixo/Madeira.

1977 Studio talk “The appeal of art to people today” (Appell der Kunst an den Menschen von heute) \ Lectures with Suse Schildt on the theme “Education without provocation” \ Birth of their son Kilian.

1980 First work trip to the USA to New York.
Work stays in Rome and Bornholm.

1981 Trip to the Munch Museum, Oslo.
Work stay in Tunis.

1982 Working in Provence.
Encounter with the artist Hans Hartung in Antibes.

1983 Picture series “Cross formations in nature” (Kreuzesformen in der Natur).

1985 Trip to the USA, work stay (New York and Long Island).

1989 Trip to Moscow for the exhibition at the Pushkin Museum.

1992 Foundation of the Siegward Sprotte Foundation in Potsdam.

1996 Start of the “Bornstedt Dialogues”. Work trips to Colfosco.

2004 Died: September 7th in Kampen/Sylt.

1975 Trip to Paris. Death of the mother.
First work trips to Caniço de Baixo/Madeira.

1977 Studio talk “The appeal of art to people today” (Appell der Kunst an den Menschen von heute) \ Lectures with Suse Schildt on the theme “Education without provocation” \ Birth of their son Kilian.

1980 First work trip to the USA to New York.
Work stays in Rome and Bornholm.

1981 Trip to the Munch Museum, Oslo.
Work stay in Tunis.

1982 Working in Provence.
Encounter with the artist Hans Hartung in Antibes.

1983 Picture series “Cross formations in nature” (Kreuzesformen in der Natur).

1985 Trip to the USA, work stay (New York and Long Island).

1989 Trip to Moscow for the exhibition at the Pushkin Museum.

1992 Foundation of the Siegward Sprotte Foundation in Potsdam.

1996 Start of the “Bornstedt Dialogues”. Work trips to Colfosco.

2004 Died: September 7th in Kampen/Sylt.