He was a so-called Tierbildhauer and his meticulous studies in zoos resulted in an oeuvre of more than 250 designs, many of which were executed in bronze. The Hutschenreuther porcelain factory in Germany produced a number of his bird designs.
His animal designs are characterized by a subtle stylization, which does not detract from reality, but rather enhances it.
The first porcelain designs for the Vereinigte Werkstätten were made together with the Jena sculptress Martha Bergemann-Könitzer (1874-1955).[16]
Krieger's lifelike animal sculptures are often appreciated. They "[...] show an exceptionally convincing expression of the truth of life, despite the strictest stylization (smooth surfaces outlined by sharp contours)." Wilhelm Krieger's designs were executed by the art department of Lorenz Hutschenreuther AG in Selb, by the Mitteldeutsche Stahlwerke, Department of Sculpture in Lauchhammer, the Thuringian Porcelain Factory Gebrüder Heubach in Lichte, the Grootenburg Pottery Factory, Paul Dresler in Krefeld, the Allach Porcelain Factory and the Otto Koebcke Ceramics Workshops in Herrsching.
In 2014, a large part of Krieger's work was donated by the artist's family to the Zoological State Collection Munich. The Zoological State Collection exhibits Krieger's work in its rooms together with work by students (Institute for Artistic Education of the LMU).
