Zille was a German painter and illustrator, as well as photographer of every day life in the workers' quarters of developing Berlin at the beginning of the 20th century. His keen eye and humor made him into one of the most known artists of his time. Born in Radeburg he started to draw as a 14 year old after his family moved to Berlin in 1872 where the family lived under very poor conditions in a cellar apartment near the Schlesischen Tor (Berlin-Kreuzberg). He worked in different companies and factories just to make some money, but started to draw for some department stores and fashion houses of the time. His first real occupation was that of a lithographer at the Lithografieanstalt Winckelmann & Söhne, where he would work for the next 30 years with little interruptions. 1880-1882 he was drafted into the military and did his time first with the 8th Brandenburg Regiment and then as a guard at Sonnenburg prison. During that time he gained insight into the live of a soldier that he used in later life to draw his humorous military stories. For a short time he also worked as a photographer, but quickly went back to the drawing board. He published numerous books and drawings about every day life in Berlin. The Zille name is strongly bound to the city of Berlin. He has produced so many images over his lifetime that the city considered him one of its honorary citizens. He died of a stroke in 1929 and was buried with over 2000 artists and common people in attendance. The city of Berlin cares for his honorary grave at the Südwestfriedhof in Stahnsdorf near Berlin.
Zille was a German painter and illustrator, as well as photographer of every day life in the workers' quarters of developing Berlin at the beginning of the 20th century. His keen eye and humor made him into one of the most known artists of his time. Born in Radeburg he started to draw as a 14 year old after his family moved to Berlin in 1872 where the family lived under very poor conditions in a cellar apartment near the Schlesischen Tor (Berlin-Kreuzberg). He worked in different companies and factories just to make some money, but started to draw for some department stores and fashion houses of the time. His first real occupation was that of a lithographer at the Lithografieanstalt Winckelmann & Söhne, where he would work for the next 30 years with little interruptions. 1880-1882 he was drafted into the military and did his time first with the 8th Brandenburg Regiment and then as a guard at Sonnenburg prison. During that time he gained insight into the live of a soldier that he used in later life to draw his humorous military stories. For a short time he also worked as a photographer, but quickly went back to the drawing board. He published numerous books and drawings about every day life in Berlin. The Zille name is strongly bound to the city of Berlin. He has produced so many images over his lifetime that the city considered him one of its honorary citizens. He died of a stroke in 1929 and was buried with over 2000 artists and common people in attendance. The city of Berlin cares for his honorary grave at the Südwestfriedhof in Stahnsdorf near Berlin.
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