Born on 14 December 1944 in Brünnau; married, two children
 
Since November 2005
Federal Minister of Economics and Technologies
 
Since 1993
Member of the Presidium and the Christian Socialist Party (CSU) Executive in Bavaria and Chairman of the CSU Group in the State Assembly in the German Bundestag and First Vice-Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag
 
1990 - 1992
Vice-Chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag for economics, agriculture, transport, tourism and the parliamentary group SMEs (Mittelstand)
 
1987
Chairman of the Working Group on Finance and Spokesman on finance policy for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag
 
1980
Chairman of the Working Group on Finance and the Budget of the CSU Group in the State Assembly
 
Since 1976
Member of the German Bundestag
 
1975 - 1993
Chairman of the CSU District Association (Kreisverband) of Kitzingen
 
1972 - 1993
Member of the District Assembly of Kitzingen
 
1972 - 1978
Member of the Town Council of Prichsenstadt