Hess began his study of architecture at
Karlsruhe University in 1940, but interrupted his education between 1941 and 1945 to fight in the
Second World War. He received his diploma in 1948 after resuming his studies under
Otto Ernst Schweizer and
Heinrich Müller, and became an assistant to Müller. In 1951, he presented his thesis and took employment in the civil service, where he worked alongside
Horst Linde. In 1956, Hess accepted a position with the construction offices of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg, and from 1986 headed the organisation following the retirement of
Hans Rolli. From 1972 to 1977, Hess also served as Chief of department in Heidelberg. == Works ==