Born 18 September 1947 in Lauda, married, three children
1966 – Abitur
1967-69 – National Service
1969-72 – Law and History Studies at the Universities of Paris and Bonn
1973 – First State Examination in Law
1973-75 – Judge’s Assistant/Assistant Lecturer, University of Bonn
1975-77 – Federal Foreign Office, Bonn
1977-80 – German Embassy, London
1980-83 – Federal Chancellery, European Affairs, Bonn
1983-86 – German Embassy, New Delhi
1986-88 – German Embassy, Lisbon
1988-92 – Federal Foreign Office, Bonn
1992-93 – Head of Minister’s Office, Federal Foreign Office, Bonn
1993-94 – Chief of Minister’s Cabinet, Federal Foreign Office, Bonn
1994-99 – Deputy Chief of Mission, Washington
1999-2002 – Director General, Political Department, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin
2002-2006 – German Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, London
Since 07/2006 German Ambassador to the United Nations, New York
2006-2009 – German Ambassador to the United Nations
2009-2012 – German Ambassador to India
2012 to present – President, Herrenhausen Stiftung