Born on 21 January 1954 in Bonn; married, three children
 
Since November 2005
Head of the Federal Chancellery
 
2004
Member of the State Assembly of Saxony
 
Since 2004
Minister of State for the Interior in Saxony
 
2002 - 2004
Minister of State for Justice in Saxony
 
2001 - 2002
Minister of State for Finance in Saxony
 
1999
Adviser and, from October 1999 on, Leader of the State Chancellery of Saxony
 
1994 - 1998
Head of the State Chancellery of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
 
1993
Chairman of the Joint Conference of Heads of Government (Amtschefkonferenz) of the Conference of Ministers of Cultural Affairs
 
1990 - 1994
State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture of the federal state (Land) of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
 
1990
Assisted in setting up the office of the Minister-President of the last government of the GDR; member of the negotiating delegation for the German Unification Treaty
 
1985 - 1989
Leader of the Basic Issues Division (Grundsatzreferat) of the Senate Chancellery of the federal state (Land) of Berlin; Press Spokesman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Berlin Parliament
 
1986
Qualified as Doctor of Law (Dr. jur.) at Wilhelms University in Münster
 
1983
Employee of Governing Mayors of Berlin, Richard von Weizsäcker and Eberhard Diepgen
 
1982
Second state examination (Assessorexamen)
 
1972 - 1979
Studied Law und History in Münster and Freiburg , first state examination (Referendarexamen)
 
1972
Abitur (German equivalent to A-Levels); military service