Main interests
- History of East German society
- Communism and State Socialist societies
- History of intelligence and secret police forces
Education
1983 High school diploma (Abitur), Georg-Büchner-Gymnasium Seelze
1990 Magister Artium, University of Hanover, Studies in history, political science and law
2000 Dr. phil. in history, University of Potsdam, s.c.l.
Carreer
1990-1 Alternative civilian service in a welfare centre in Garbsen/Hanover
1992-3 Personal assistant, “Bündnis 90/Die Grünen”, State Parliament of Lower Saxony (Germany)
1992-2008 Researcher/Senior Researcher in the Research Department of the Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records, Berlin
2005-8 Head of research and edition group “Die DDR im Blick der Stasi. Edition of MfS Reports”
Since 2008 Researcher, Centre for Contemporary History (ZZF), Potsdam
Since 2009 Head of Department 1 “Communism and Society”
Grants
Spring 1989 Research grant (German-German Student Exchange Program, German Academic Exchange Service), Karl-Marx-University Leipzig, history section (East Germany)
Apr-Jul 2006 Visiting scholar, Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung, Potsdam