biograPHY

I attended the European School in Luxembourg from 1959-1968, then the European School in Brussels until my high school exam (1971).
           I completed my law studies in Hamburg and Freiburg in 1979 with the Second State Examination. During my legal traineeship I fulfilled a longtime wish and studied anthropology up to the intermediate exam. During this time and until joining the Foreign Office in 1980, I undertook a field research trip to Borneo, did an internship at Amnesty International in London, worked in a Paris law firm, and spent two months as a visiting student at Harvard University's JFK School of Government.
           My time in the Foreign Service began and ended in the Arab World: Jordan and Saudi Arabia (1982-1985); Libya and Tunisia (2013-2016 as German Ambassador to Libya). In between, I was involved with the United Nations for many years, focusing on human rights and international law (1992-1995 and 2001-2005 in New York, 1997-2001 and 2005-2008 at headquarters). I have also been to Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador), Hungary (where I directly experienced the end of the Cold War in 1988/89 as the person responsible for assisting East German refugees), and Italy (Rome, Naples).
           Now retired, I divide my time between Baden in South West Germany and South Tyrol. In addition to writing, reading, hiking, and making music, I enjoy spending time with my partner and, as much as possible, with my three children.
           A short curriculum vitae can be found on the German version of Wikipedia.