1974-1982, studied Law and History, Münster and Freiburg Universities, 1983, Collaborator of the Mayors of Berlin, 1985 – 1989, Leader of the Basic Issues Division of the Senate Chancellery of the of Berlin; Press Spokesman of the CDU parliamentary group in the Berlin Parliament, 1990, collaborator, office of the Minister-President of the GDR; member of the negotiating delegation for the German Unification Treaty, 1990 – 1994, State Secretary in the Ministry of Culture of the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, 1994 – 1998, Head of the State Chancellery of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, 1999, Leader of the State Chancellery of Saxony
2001 – 2002, Minister of State for Finance in Saxony, 2002 – 2004, Minister of State for Justice in Saxony, 2004-2005, Minister of State for the Interior in Saxony, Member of the State Assembly of Saxony, 2005 – 2009, Head of the Federal Chancellery, 2009 – 2011, Federal Minister of the Interior, 2011 – 2013 Federal Minister of Defence, since December 2013, Federal Minister of the Interior