1915-1919 trains as a book printer and typesetter. 1920 moves to Frankfurt am Main. Pupil of Emil Gies at the Städel School and subsequently of Reinhold Ewald at the Academy in Hanau. 1924 settles in Münster. Works as a stage designer; friendship with Leopold von Kalckreuth and Oskar Schlemmer. 1927 artistic advisor to the municipal theatres in Essen. From 1929 head of the costume institute and director of the class in stage design at the Folkwang School, Essen. 1932-1933 professor of the stage design class in Dresden. 1933 flees to Holland, subsequently to France. 1934 moves to London. 1937-1941 interned. Starting in 1945, regular collaboration with Archer Film Production. Awarded an Oscar for the film 'The Red Shoes' (1948) and two nominations for the film 'The Tales of Hoffmann' (1951). 1956 returns to Frankfurt am Main. Friendships with Bernard Schultze and Karl Otto Götz.