Born in Benediktbeuern, Bavaria,[11] he trained as a lithographer and became a student of Maximilian Dasio at the Munich School of Applied Arts. He joined Hollerbaum und Schmidt around 1908, becoming part of the "Berlin School",[12] where he created what is considered one of the most enduring examples of Sachplakat, an advertisement for the nascent racing division of the Opel car manufacturer.[3][13] During World War I he created propaganda posters for the German State Film Committee,[14][15][16][17] as well as promotional posters for propaganda films,[18] some of which, like U Boote Heraus! became quite famous at the time.[19][20]