| 1877 | Born July 2 in Calw, Württemberg, second child of Johannes and Marie (née Gundert) Hesse. |
| 1881-1886 | Basle, where Johannes Hesse was teaching. |
| 1886 | The family returns to Calw. |
| 1890-1891 | Attends the preparatory school in Göppingen. |
| 1891 | Passes the Swabian Landexamen in July. |
| 1891-1892 | Attends the Maulbronn Seminary. |
| 1892 | Runs away from Maulbronn in March.
From May onwards attends various schools (Bad Boll, Stetten im Remstal, Basle). |
| 1892-1893 | Attends the Gymnasium in Bad Cannstatt. |
| 1893-1894 | Gives up a bookshop apprenticeship and assists his father in Calw. |
| 1894-1895 | Apprentice mechanic in Heinrich Perrot's clock workshops, Calw. |
| 1895-1898 | Apprentice in a Tübingen bookshop. |
| 1898-1899 | Promoted to assistant. |
| 1899 | Romantische Lieder.
Eine Stunde hinter Mitternacht. |
| 1899-1903 | Works in a Basle bookshop. Travels in Switzerland. |
| 1901 | First Italian journey (Florence, Ravenna, Venice). Hinterlassene Schr
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