Early Life and Formation of Die Brücke Born: Döbeln, Germany (1883) Erich Heckel was the son of a railway engineer, leading to frequent family moves during his childhood. He studied architecture in Dresden but left after three terms. A pivotal moment was meeting Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, and Fritz Bleyl, which led to the formation of Die Brücke ("The Bridge") in 1905. Heckel served as the group's secretar…