Biography

1973 Abitur. Studied mathematics and social sciences at the universities of Göttingen and Hamburg, graduating in 1979 with a degree in sociology.

Since 1973 youth and education work in the German-French Youth Office, 1976 to 1980 seminar leader at the working group "Work and Life", from 1980 education officer at the YMCA Hamburg, at the same time establishment of the German Greenpeace office in Hamburg, 1984 to 1990 first woman in the International Board of Greenpeace.

Member of the IG Bauen - Agrar - Umwelt, the Falken and IPU, board member and member of the jury of the "Right Livelihood Award" (Alternative Nobel Prize), member of the German UNESCO Commission, member of the board of the Kulturpolitische Gesellschaft, deputy chairwoman of the board of the F. C. Flick Foundation against xenophobia, racism and intolerance. Order of the French Legion of Honor, 2002.

Joined the SPD in 1992. Member of the State Parliament of Lower Saxony from 1994 to 1998; Minister of the Environment from 1990 to 1998.

Member of the Bundestag since 1998; 1998 to 1999 SPD parliamentary group spokeswoman on the United Nations/Interparliamentary Union, 1999 to 2000 SPD parliamentary group spokeswoman on culture and media policy; July 2000 to October 2005 chairwoman of the SPD parliamentary group's Culture and Media Committee, since December 2005 spokeswoman of the SPD parliamentary group's Culture and Media Working Group. Member of the German OSCE Parliamentary Delegation. Member of the Board of Trustees of the "Memorial to the Murdered Jews Foundation.
- IMDb mini biography by: Christian_Wolfgang_Barth