Rolf Wisskirchen was born in 1950 in Koenigswinter-Niederdollendorf/Rhein. This proximity to the river influenced his later life. After attending elementary and high school, he applied to the Academy of Arts in Düsseldorf. When this failed, he studied biology in Bonn. This was completed in 1994 with a doctoral thesis on riverside vegetation, which led him often to France. As part of his specialization in botany he completed a number of projects at the Universities of Bochum and Bonn. He also worked for the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the NRW Foundation and the Foundation for Nature and Environment in Mayen-Koblenz . Since 2008 he has worked independently, mainly in the Eifel.
His artistic activity began in high school. At the beginning it was drawing and painting; he turned later to poetry and other writing. Whilst studying biology his ambitions shifted to music and he was active as a composer and guitarist in several rock and wave bands. This ended in 1995, when he returned to his professional activities.
It was in September 2005 in Oigny-s-Seine, in the gatehouse of the former abbey, as he had another look at the texts, he had written long ago that he decided to go back to writing. He has written widely, but especially short stories, poetry, travelogues, essays and miniatures. Since that time his passion for writing continues unabated. His most recent work is "das Luxusgoldzimmer" (The luxury Gold Room), a collection of ten short stories. Another book of short stories is in progress. Rolf Wisskirchen has lived in Remagen since 1988.