Their group was one of the seminal ones which in due course had a major impact on the evolution of modern art in the 20th century and created the style of Expressionism. Vier Holzplastiken, 1912, Dallas Museum of Art Kirchner continued studies in Munich from 1903 to 1904, returning to Dresden in 1905 to complete his degree.

They discussed art together and also studied nature, having a radical outlook in common.

While in attendance, he became close friends with Fritz Bleyl, whom Kirchner met during the first term. The institution provided a wide range of studies in addition to architecture, such as freehand drawing, perspective drawing and the historical study of art. Although Kirchner's parents encouraged his artistic career they also wanted him to complete his formal education so in 1901, he began studying architecture at the Königliche Technische Hochschule (royal technical university) of Dresden. As Kirchner's father searched for a job, the family moved frequently and Kirchner attended schools in Frankfurt and Perlen until his father earned the position of Professor of Paper Sciences at the College of technology in Chemnitz, where Kirchner attended secondary school.

His parents were of Prussian descent and his mother was a descendant of the Huguenots, a fact to which Kirchner often referred. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was born in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria.

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