Hannover

Born 1959 in Hannover, a relatively small town in the north of Germany. But it had more to offer than one thinks: the international Industry Fair, IT Fair "CeBit" - and even art, as you can see: Niki de Saint-Phalle's "Nana's" were erected in the early 70's in the city. At the time a big scandal. In 1978 I finished Highschool at the Herschelschule.
Although Hannover is a nice city, I always had the urge to move somewhere else.
A colleague in the psychiatry, where I made an internship told me about the possibility to study abroad - in Holland!

I was born and grew up in Hannover, a small town in northern Germany. I started my studies in Amsterdam, then continued in Berlin, worked in the European Capital Brussels and moved to New York City in 1998.

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Amsterdam

Wow, what a city!I started my psychology studies at the Vrije University. Here I got a very solid training in psychology, statistics and test theory.

When I moved to Amsterdam, I was happy to discover a different culture and the liberal spirit in Holland. At that time Germany got stuck in the postwar discussions of a divided country - and still under the shock of the terror acts of the late 70'ies by the Baader-Meinhof-Group.

Oh, and the language: it was not as easy as it seemed, but I wanted to speak as well a Dutchman and after a long while I did pretty good.
Amsterdam in the early 80's was the time of political discussions, house squatting (the "krakers") and "alternative culture" which grew in the university clubs and coffee-shops. It was fascinating to live and work in a country so cosmopolitain. Since the early beginnings the Dutch were very interested in a lot of different countries, even though it often was initially only for pure mercantile interests.

Brussels
In 1991 I had to choose: Staying in Berlin and becoming a counselor for HIV positive heroin addicts or going out again. I had the opportunity to go to Brussels and to make an internship at the European Commission. How fascinating: together with 500 other interns from more than 50 countries worldwide. A lot of them kids of diplomats, but also from other backgrounds. The international working sphere (speaking now three foreign languages) and the work in politics fascinated me more and more.
In 1992 I started working for the representation of the German State Bremen at the European Union. I learned a lot about structures and procedures in politics and administration from my boss Karin Jöns, who is now a Member of the European Parliament.
When I took my sabbatical in 1998, I was the Managing Director of the Liaison Office.

Berlin

was an another important step. The life in Holland was great, but I felt that the education on the Vrije University was too "Americanized", psychology strongly oriented at behaviorism.
Berlin was different: The "Critical Psychologists" around Klaus Holzkamp at the Free University (founded by the US after WW II) promised a different scientific approach: understanding the individual in its sociological and historical setting.
I started working on an Intensive Care Ward of a small hospital in Wedding (one of the boroughs of Berlin) and lived primarily in Kreuzberg - where all the young folks lived.
Since 1985 I worked for the Senate of Berlin conducting tours in German, French and English. This was an extremely intensive time in a city divided by the wall. Explaining the complex historical development to tourists was sometimes very challenging.
I witnessed the fall of the wall on November, 9th 1989.