[citation needed] He initially sought to follow in his father's footsteps by pursuing a military career as a Prussian officer cadet, but abandoned this and went to live in Munich from 1891.

He took over the full management of the school following Obrist's departure in 1904, promoting artistic developments in a number of spheres, including commercial commissions, furniture design and metal, textile and ceramic works.

[5] The school began with only six pupils[6] but proved highly influential, training important artists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Sophie Taeuber-Arp.

[6] It was to provide a model for the later Bauhaus,[7] whose founder Walter Gropius stayed in touch with Debschitz and visited the school on at least one occasion.

[6] In 1922 he moved to the Black Forest town of Bernau im Schwarzwald, where he focused on textile design and the chipboard industry.