1889
Born in Stuttgart
1905-1907
Apprenticeship as a decorative painter
1908-1910
Attends the "Königlich Württembergische Akademie der Bildenden Künste" (Royal Württemberg Academy of Fine Arts) in Stuttgart
1913
Participates in exhibitions including the "Erster Deutscher Herbstsalon" (First German Autumn Salon) at the gallery "Der Sturm" in Berlin
1914-1918
Serves in World War I
1919
First stage design, works as typographer
1923-1926
Exhibits in Germany and abroad, visits the "Bauhaus" in Weimar, meets Wassily Kandinsky and Paul Klee
1926
Exhibits at the International Exhibition of Modern Art in New York, Marriage with Margarete (Margrit) Oehm
1927
First solo exhibition in Paris, offered a chair for typography, commercial graphics, and fabric printing at the "Städtische Kunstgewerbeschule" (Municiple Applied Arts School), or Städelschule, in Frankfurt am Main, becomes member of the "ring neue werbegestalter" (circle of new commercial designers)
1929
Becomes member of the artist association Cercle et Carré
1931
Becomes member of the artist group "Abstraction - Création", first monograph by Willi Grohmann published
1933
As part of the first official acts of the National Socialists Baumeister is dismissed without notice from his Frankfurter teaching position and denounced as a degenerate artist until the end of 1945
1934
Eduardo Westerdahl's monograph Willi Baumeister published
1935
Participates in the Constructivists Exhibition in Basel, works by Baumeister are shown in the exhibition "Entartete Kunst" in Munich, stores paintings, gouaches, and drawings at the Kunsthalle Basel to keep them out of reach from the National Socialists
1938
Participates in the London exhibition Twentieth Century German Art organized by Herbert Read, meets Hans Arp, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Joan Miró, and Wassily Kandinsky
1941
Receives prohibition on painting and exhibiting, according to the decree of the "Reichskammer der Bildenden Künste" (National Art Chamber)
1943-1947
Works on his writings "Das Unbekannte in der Kunst" (The Unknown in Art), experiences the end of the war in Horn at Lake Constance Published in 1947 and recognized as a legitimation of abstract art
1946-1955
Professorship at the "Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste (State Academy of Fine Arts) in Stuttgart Creates editions of "Urbilder", "Kegelspiele" und "Metaphysische Landschaften"
1948
Participates in the XXIV Biennale in Venice and in the "Salon des Réalités Nouvelles" in Paris, produces further stage designs
1949
Co-founder of the "Gruppe der Gegenstandslosen" (Group of Nonrepresentational Artists) (renamed Group ZEN 49 in January 1950)
1950
Participates in the "Erstes Darmstädter Gespräch" (First Darmstadt Dialogues), travels to Spain and France and participates in the Second International Art Congress of the Escuela de Altamira in Santillana del Mar near Santander, Spain
1951
Participates in the first Biennale (I Bienal) in São Paulo, receives Biennale Prize
1952
Participates in the XXVI Biennale in Venice, monograph by Will Grohmann published
1954
The Vienna Secession distinguishes Baumeister for his life achievement with the Klimt-Honor, participates in the first documenta in Kassel
1955
Willi Baumeister dies while painting in his studio on August 23rd in Stuttgart