Personal Information

Date of Birth:  27th of July 1945
Place of Birth:  Wald-Michelbach/Odenwald
Marital Status:  two children
1964-1972:  Studies of Geography, History and Political Science at the Universities of Mannheim and Heidelberg
1971  First state examination in Mannheim
1972  Second state examination in Heidelberg
1972-1975  Probationary grammar school teacher
1975  Grammar school teacher at P. Petersen Grammar School/Mannheim
1980  Senior grammar school teacher
1987  Senior grammar school teacher with special duties at Elisabeth Grammar School in Mannheim

Political Career

since 1970  Member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
1972-1986  Chairman of the local association of the SPD
1971-1975  Member of the district council of the SPD
1975-1989  Member of Mannheim City Council: Mayor for Culture, Schools, Sports and Public Bathing Facilities
1989-1998 Mayor of the City of Mannheim and official responsible for cultural affairs, schools and sports
since 1998 Member of the German Bundestag (Electoral District Mannheim)
since 2001 Rapporteur for Latin America and the Caribbean within the  SPD-parliamentary group in the German Bundestag

Member of the following committees/bodies of the German Bundestag and other functions in the 16^th parliamentary period:

• Member of the Budget Committee: Rapporteur for the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Substitute Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Rapporteur for Latin America and the Caribbean as well as for Spain, Portugal and Andorra
• Rapporteur for Latin America and the Caribbean within the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag
• Chairman of the German-Mexican parliamentary friendship group
• Member of the German-Brazilian parliamentary friendship group
• Member of the German-Spanish parliamentary friendship group
• Member of the German-South American parliamentary friendship group
• Member of the German-Central American parliamentary friendship group
  

Other Activities in the ambit of the relationship to Latin America (extract)

• Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the German-Brasilian Society
• Member of the Executive Committee of the Dialogue of the German-Brasilian Civil Societies
• Member of Honor of the German–Paraguayan Society