Biography
1969 to 1983 school attendance in Hamburg, advanced technical college entrance qualification. 1984 to 1991 regular soldier, lastly platoon leader of the reconnaissance and reconnaissance platoon of the airborne brigade 25, Calw, 1986 non-commissioned officer course, staff service in Sonthofen, 1988 field service course paratroopers in Altenstadt, graduation as best of the year of the division. 1990 to 1993 studies in administration at the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Mannheim, Department of Labor Administration, Diplomverwaltungswirt (FH).
Since 1993, employment mediator at the Heidelberg Employment Office, initially in the vocational area for all professions, most recently for industrial professions; senior administrative inspector.
1993 to 1996 honorary judge at the Heidelberg Regional Court, Juvenile Court, 1996 to 1998 honorary assessor on the Committee for Conscientious Objectors at the Karlsruhe District Military Replacement Office. 1999 to 2004 member of the Board of Trustees of the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics Heidelberg, since 2000 member of the Board of the German Atlantic Society, since 2003 member of the Board of Trustees of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation; since 2000 Vice President of the German-Israeli Society. Koniglijke Nederlande Bond voor Lichamelijke Opvoeding, Level I, - CSO-Honor Batch, US-Army Europe, Parachutist Badge of the German Armed Forces in Gold and of the US-Army, Badge for Achievements in Military Service in Gold (3rd repetition), Rifleman's Cord in Gold (2nd repetition), Swimming Badge in Gold, Sports Badge in Silver.
1990 joined the FDP and founding member of the Young Liberals Heidelberg, 1992 to 1994 and since 1997 member of the district executive committee of the FDP Heidelberg, 1993 to 1995 member of the state executive committee of the Young Liberals Baden-Württemberg, since 2003 member of the federal executive committee of the FDP, since May 2005 FDP Secretary General. 2004 to 2005 City Councilor in Heidelberg.
Member of the Bundestag since 1998; Deputy Chairman of the German-Israeli Parliamentary Group since 1998; Chairman of the Baden-Württemberg FDP regional group from 2002 to 2005.
