Fuchs received his doctorate in art history in 1939 and worked as a curator since 1947 at the Kunsthalle Mannheim under the director Walter Passarge. From 1959 to 1984 he was director of the Kunsthalle. During this time he was able to substantially expand the remarkable collection of sculptures as well as paintings of the 20th century – often without the support of political bodies. During his tenure, the extension building of the Kunsthalle was opened in 1983.
