Rolf Sackenheim


Rolf Sackenheim was a German artist and a graphic designer.

Life and work

In 1940 Sackenheim studied arts at Meisterschule für Deutsches Handwerk in Trier. The following year, he was drafted for military service, but in 1942 was retired due to a serious wound he had received. In 1943 he began to study art at Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe. After a two-year-break in the years 1947–1950 he continued his studies under the instruction of Karl Hubbuch. In 1950 he moved to Eifel, where he painted in watercolors, did drawings and worked out his theoretical statements on painting. Two years later he went to Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he was awarded "Master scholar" of Otto Coester in the same year.
From 1960 on he became guest lecturer at the Werkkunstschule in Krefeld. In 1963, he became regular lecturer at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, later received the title of professor and became head of the Class of Printmaking. From 1969 to 1970 and from 1972 to 1976 he also was the vice director of the academy. In 1984, he was awarded honorary member of the Academy of Fine Arts, Münster. He retired in 1984 in Düsseldorf and kept on painting. His art works, pictures, etchings and graphic art were shown in multiple exhibitions as well as many personal shows.