Facklam was born in Upahl, a village near Grevesmühlen in Mecklenburg. His father was a farmer, and after leaving secondary school in 1908 Facklam also worked in the agricultural sector for several years. He received his first artistic training only in 1914, from the landscape artist Ludwig Dettmann in Schwerin. Artistic training was interrupted by the outbreak of war at the end of July 1914 and four years of military service. However, from 1919/20, on the recommendation of Carl Malchin (1838-1923), he pursued his studies with Franz Bunke in Schwaan, also spending time at the Arts Academy in Weimar where he remained till 1923. This was the year in which he settled to a career as a freelance artist in Schwerin.
In 1930, together with his friend and fellow artist Richard Zscheked (1885-1954) he established an art school at Schwerin. One of their better known pupils was Carl Hinrichs (artist) [de] (1903-1990) who received his first artistic education at the school.[3] War returned in 1939, and from then till 1945 Facklam served initially as a soldier and subsequently as a prisoner of war, returning to Schwerin in 1946.
In 1963, now aged 70, he was able to relocate on health grounds, moving to Winkelhaid on the edge of Nuremberg.
Facklam was a member of the German National League of Visual artists until the organisation was abolished directly following a change of government early in 1933. He was a member of the "Mecklenburg Artists' League", the "Union of Schwerin Artists" and of the "Artists Collective of Nuremberg".[4]
