1941
Born on April 12 in Konstanz.
1960–1961
Studies painting at the Kunstakademie Karlsruhe with Otto Laible and Georg Meistermann.
1962–1965
Studies painting Hochschule der Künste in Berlin.
1965
Becomes master-class student of Hann Trier. Exhibits at the Freie Galerie in Berlin.
1966
Receives grant of the British Council to work in London.
1967–1968
Is first German artist to receive Harkness Fellowship to work and travel in the United States.
1970
Moves to London.
1971–1975
Works on his first tarot series.
1976–1981
Works on his “Life Cycle,” a series of drawings and acrylic paintings that is exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery in London.
1979–1981
Works at his new studio on the island of Gozo in the Mediterranean Sea.
1984
Works on his first series of Polaroid transformations in London.
1985
Works on his first sculptures. His works are exhibited at Cordier & Ekstrom in New York.
1986
Receives artists price of the city of Konstanz.
1988
Finishes his second tarot series dedicated to Oscar Schlemmer.
1994
Recovers after an accident in the Black Forest and renovates the Rochus-Church in Göschweiler.
2002
Works on a tarot series of Polaroid transformations.
2003
Moves from London to Konstanz.
2004
Establishes the Johannes Dörflinger Foundation in Kreuzlingen.
2006
His works with tree motifs he made between 1961 and 2005 are published.
2006–2007
Publishes his third tarot series. 22 of sculptures are shown at the border between Switzerland and Germany.
2009
Works with the analogies. Beatus’ Commentary on the Apocalypse inspires his Polaroid transformations series “Apokalypse offen“ (Open Apocalypse).
2013
Writes poems for a publication on his small sculptures.
2014
Opens the gallery “KunstGrenze” in Konstanz.
2015
Reworks old works. His works are recorded for a catalogue raisonné.
2016
His 75th anniversary is celebrated with a retrospective at the Kunstmuseum Singen.