 He sought to preserve and restore Passau by becoming a member of the Donau-Wald-Gruppe, an association of local visual artists.In 1990, he founded the Museum of Modern Art in Passau, which he began by displaying his father's artwork, and remained connected to it until his death in 2014 at the age of 98.In 1977, Wörlen was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, upgraded to the Commander's Cross in 1997.