Renate Ulmer studied history of art, classical archaeology and comparative literature at the universities of Karlsruhe and Heidelberg. After her dissertation in 1987 on "Biblical Themes in Expressionist Art" she accepted a position at the Institut Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt, where she worked as acting director and exhibition curator. She has published numerous works on the Stilkunst movement and the design of the 20th century.
