CV

• Born on 14 March 1960 in Osnabrück

• 1978
  Abitur (university entrance qualification) in Osnabrück

• 1978 to 1980
  Apprenticeship as wholesale and export merchant

• 1980
  Business employee

• 1980 to 1981
  Military service

• 1981 to 1987
  Studied law at the universities of Osnabrück and Münster

• 1982 to 1983
  Studied French at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest, Angers, France

• 1987 to 1990
  First/second state examination

• 1990
  Lawyer

• 1991
  Government assessor in the Weser-Ems Regional Administration

• 1991 to 1995
  Personal assistant to Gerhard Glogowski, Minister of the Interior of Lower Saxony

• 1995 to 1996
  Deputy Head of Minister Glogowski’s office

• 1997 to 2002
  Head of various departments of Weser-Ems Regional Administration, Osnabrück Branch Office

• 1999 to 2002
  Deputy Mayor of the city of Osnabrück 

• 2002 to 2006
  Head of the “Schools and Sports” department of Weser-Ems Regional Administration, Osnabrück Branch Office

• 2006 to 2013
  Head Mayor of the city of Osnabrück

• 2013 to 2023
  Lower Saxony Minister of the Interior and Sport

• 2017 to 2023
  Member of the State Parliament of Lower Saxony

• 2023 to 2025
  Federal Minister of Defence

• since 2025 
  Member of the Bundestag

• since 6 May 2025
  Re-appointed as Federal Minister of Defence