Ludwig Hohlwein was born in Germany in 1874. He trained as an architect and practised until 1906 when he started a new career in poster design. He quickly established himself as one of the most important people working in this field in Germany.
Hohlwein's high tonal contrasts and a network of interlocking shapes made his work instantly recognizable. Hohlwein was employed by the German government during the First World War to produce propaganda posters. Ludwig Hohlwein died in 1939.