Obituary: Professor Wolfgang Jarchow

The Hochschule für Künste mourns Professor Wolfgang Jarchow

We are saddened by the death of our esteemed colleague of many years, Prof. Wolfgang Jarchow. He was 86 years old and died on Ascension Day, 26 May 2022.

After his training as a shop window designer, Wolfgang Jarchow studied at the Staatliche Kunstschule Bremen – later the Hochschule für Künste (HfK) Bremen – with Gustav Weinert from 1955 to 1959 basic and with Felix Müller sustainable aspects of design. After various activities as a freelance art director, he took on a position as a lecturer to teach free drawing at the Kunstschule in 1960. In 1965, he became a lecturer there in the course of study "Gebrauchsgraphik" and head of the class "Werbegrafik". Starting then he ran the Design Atelier "B + B Jarchow" together with his wife Brigitte Jarchow. In 1979, the HfK Bremen appointed him as a full professor. He was a formative personality and taught at the HfK until 2001. Many of his students are distinguished designers.

"With great commitment and personal dedication, Wolfgang Jarchow expanded the range of courses at the HfK to include the field of animated film and 3D design. It is thanks to him that these disciplines still have a permanent place at the HfK today," emphasized HfK Rector Roland Lambrette. "With Wolfgang Jarchow, we are losing a personality who shaped many generations of students with his respectful and humorous manner. Our sympathy goes out to his family and friends."

"Wolfgang Jarchow's passion was drawing. Humorous, satirical and profound, falling for the line, this is how he reflected his environment in free works, which were often created while travelling or in the studio. Several books bear witness to his artistic motto 'Zeichnen ist sehen' (to draw is to see) – such as 'Ganznebenbei', published in 2016, 'Jarchow - Der Zeichner' from 2018 and 'Momente auf Djerba', published in 2020," said designer and photographer Fritz Haase, who also studied at the HfK and taught there as a professor from 1975 to 2002.