1936 born in Berlin, he studied law and eastern European history at the universities in Berlin and Cologne
1967 admitted as lawyer
1963 – 1984 journalist (at Hamburger Abendblatt, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Rias Berlin, chief editor of NDR Television)
1973 pHD at University of Cologne
1984 – 1987 director of Rias Berlin.
1987-1991 director of NDR.
1990 Proffessor at the university of Hamburg and Speyer
since 1995 consultant of publishing companies

German Society for Journalism and Communication Sciences
German Council on Foreign Relations