Kurt Schwitters: A Life in Merz Early Life and Education Born: June 20, 1887, in Hanover, Germany. Schwitters was the only child of Eduard and Henriette Schwitters. His father co-owned a ladies' clothing shop. The family’s financial situation improved after selling the business in 1898, allowing them to live off rental income from properties they acquired. He studied art at the Dresden Academy from 1909-1915 alongside artists like Otto Dix and George Grosz, though he seemingly remained unaware of their work at the time. Schwitters suffered his first epileptic seizure in 1901, whic…