About Dorothea Zech

Textile artist

Dorothea Zech came to Saarland with her family in 1937. After graduating from high school in 1949, she studied at the State School of Arts and Crafts in Saarbrücken. She learnt picture embroidery and paramentics from the visual artist Ella Broesch (born 1886 in Saarbrücken) and was taught painting by Boris Kleint.

After her final examination, she also passed her master craftswoman's examination in Aachen in 1954. She opened her own workshop in 1955 and initially designed paraments, i.e. textiles for church interiors such as church vestments, altar, pulpit and wall hangings. Over time, she also turned to wall textiles for public spaces.

She later worked on wall installations, window paintings and objects using "new" materials, including copper, Plexiglas and felt. At the same time, she broke away from traditional techniques. With abstract compositions, textiles and colour, her art on buildings formed a contrast to the sobriety of concrete, glass and stone of the architecture to be fitted out.

Written by: Dr Jutta Schwan, art historian in the cultural management of the Saarpfalz district

_{Published: 03.09.2025; Last updated: 31.03.2026.}