| 1969 | Abitur (Baccalaureat) |
| 1969-1976 | Studied law in Saarbrücken and Münster |
| 1976 | First State Examination in Law |
| 1976-1978 | Legal Training |
| 1978 | Second State Examination in Law |
| 1978-1979 | Legal Advisor at the Ministry of Education, Bremen |
| 1979 | Entered Federal Foreign Office, Bonn |
| 1979-1981 | Training at the Federal Foreign Office, Bonn |
| 1981-1983 | Vice-Consul, German Consulate General, Nancy |
| 1983-1985 | First Secretary for Cultural Affairs, German Embassy, Bucharest |
| 1985-1987 | Deputy Chief of Mission, German Embassy, Maputo |
| 1987-1990 | Counselor, Africa Division, Federal Foreign Office, Bonn |
1990-1993 | Head of Consular Division, German Embassy, Buenos Aires |
| 1993-1996 | Head of Visa Law Division, Federal Foreign Office, Bonn |
| 1996-1999 | Deputy Director of Immigration Law Division, Federal Foreign Office, Bonn |
| 1999-2002 | Deputy Chief of Mission, German Embassy, Dublin |
| 2002-2008 | Director for Legal Issues arising from World Wars I and II, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin |
| 2008-2009 | Harvard Fellow, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Cambridge |
| Since 08/2009 | Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Chicago |