Born in Potsdam near Berlin, Siegward Sprotte (German, 1913–2004) left high school in 1931 and went to the Berlin Academy of Arts, where he studied under Emil Orlik, who introduced the technique of the Japanese woodcut to Europe. In addition, Sprotte was the master student of Karl Hagemeister from 1930 to 1933.

Sprotte worked for over 70 years throughout Europe, in the West Indies, and in the United States. In Kampen, on the island of Sylt, Sprotte held studio talks that achieved considerable fame.