Prof. Maria Schwarz

Career

Professor Schwarz studied architecture at RWTH Aachen. Afterwards she worked as an assistant in the Department of Antiquity Architecture and as an employee in the architect’s office of Hans Schwippert (1946-1949). Between 1949 and 1951 she worked for the company responsible for the reconstruction of the city of Cologne in the area of town planning. In 1951 she married Professor Dr. Rudolf Schwarz. She became a partner in his architect’s office, working with him on numerous building projects. These included the rebuilding of the Gürzenich event hall in Cologne, the Church of St. Anne in Düren, the Church of St. Theresa in Linz, and various residential buildings. After the death of her husband in 1961 Professor Schwarz continued to run their architect’s offices in Cologne and Frankfurt/Main and completed all the building projects that they had started and planned together (1961-1971). These included churches, towers and organs. Today, together with the Historical Archive of the Archbishop of Cologne, Professor Schwarz is still busy archiving the architectural records accumulated throughout her career and that of her husband. In 1998 she accepted a teaching assignment at TUM to lecture on religious architecture. She was appointed honorary professor in 2005.

Functions

• Head of architect’s office Schwarz und Partner in Cologne and Frankfurt (since 1961)
  
• Artistic director responsible for the remodeling of St. Paul’s Church in Frankfurt (1986-1988)

Awards

• Honorary member of the Arts Academy of the city of Düsseldorf (2011)
• Honorary member of the Architektur Forum Rheinland (2008)
• Recipient of the badge of honor of the German Association of Architects and Engineers (AIV) (2000)
• Outstanding services to the state of Hesse – Church of Our Lady in Oberwesel (1965)
• Organ for Vallendar near Koblenz 1st prize