Biography

Abitur. Studied journalism, law, economics and political science at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, graduating in 1971 with a degree in economics.

Various teaching assignments in the field of economic policy; 1975 Head of the Office for Economics and Transport Promotion of the City of Mainz, 1977 Director of the Office for Economics and Real Estate, 1981 full-time Assistant City Administrator of the City of Mainz, at the same time Head of the Economic Department.

Since 1973 member of the FDP, 1981 to 1983 district chairman of the FDP Rheinhessen-Vorderpfalz, ten years deputy chairman in the FDP district association Mainz, since 1983 state chairman of the FDP Rhineland-Palatinate, since 1983 member of the federal executive committee of the FDP, since 1995 deputy federal chairman; Chairman of the FDP's Liberal Information Society Forum 1987 to 1998 Member of the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, 1987 to 1994 Minister of State for Economics and Transportation and 1994 to 1998 for Economics, Transportation, Agriculture and Viticulture, 1988 to 1998 also Deputy Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Member of the Bundestag since 1998; Deputy Chairman of the FDP parliamentary group since October 1998.
- IMDb mini biography by: Christian_Wolfgang_Barth

West German Political Figure.

Federal German Minister for Economic Affairs and Technology (2009-2011).