Born on 5 January 1956 in Detmold; married, one daughter
 
Since November 2005
Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs
 
1999 - 2005
Head of the Federal Chancellery
 
1998 - 1999
State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery and Commissioner for the Federal Intelligence Services
 
1996 - 1998
State Secretary and Head of the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony
 
1994 - 1996
Head of Department for Guidelines on Policy, Departmental Co-ordination and Planning
 
1993 - 1994
Head of the private office of the Minister-President of Lower Saxony
 
1991
Assistant Head of Division for Media Law and Media Policy in the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony
 
1986 - 1991
Member of academic staff assisting the Chair of Public Law and Political Science, Faculty of Law, Gießen University
 
1983 - 1986
Practical legal training (juristischer Vorbereitungsdienst) in Frankfurt am Main and Gießen
 
1976 - 1982
Studied Law, and Political Science from 1980, at Justus Liebig University in Gießen
 
1974 - 1976
Military service
 
1974
Abitur (German equivalent to A-Levels) in Blomberg