| 22.10.1953 | Born in Vehlefanz near Berlin, Germany |
| 1974-1978 | Teacher training studies in mathematics and physics with additional specialisation in pedagogical psychology at Humboldt University of Berlin, degree thesis in pedagogical psychology |
| 1978-1985 | Mathematics and physics teacher, lecturer at the Pedagogical Psychology Centre for further teacher training in Oranienburg, Germany |
| 1985-1988 | Research studies at the Institute for Pedagogical Psychology in Berlin, department for Developmental Psychology; dissertation based on a longitudinal analysis concerning the development of socio-cognitive abilities in pre-school children entitled: "Development and testing of a trainee programme for facilitating social abilities in pre-school children, aged 4 to 5, for coping with co-operational demands" |
| 1988-1989 | Scientific assistant at the Institute for Education, Berlin, department for "Family Education" |
| 1990-1991 | Head of the research section "Pedagogic-Psychological Family Research" at the Berlin Institute for Family and Social Pedagogics |
| 1991-1993 | Scholarship for habilitation of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) in connection with the Free University of Berlin. Lectures at the same university as well as Potsdam University |
| 1991-to date | Founder and head of the Institute for Applied Research on Childhood, Youth, and the Family (IFK) in Vehlefanz, Germany, an institute closely connected to Potsdam University |
| 1993-1999 | Managing Director of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Research on Youth and Socialisation at the University of Potsdam |
| 1996 | Habilitation thesis on: "How do pre-school children perceive their parents in situations of conflict? The Family Interaction Test for Children (FIT-K) as a family diagnostic instrument for the registration of children's reactions to parent-child interaction" |
| 1997 | Permission for lecturing pedagogical psychology, family and youth psychology |
| 1999-to date | Head of the Centre for Research on Education and Socialisation at the University of Potsdam |
| 2002 | Appointed lecturer at the Faculty for Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Potsdam |
| 2003 | Habilitation at the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Potsdam. Permission for lecturing Family, Youth and Educational Sociology at the University of Potsdam |
| 2005 | Appointment as extraordinary professor at the Faculty for Economic and Social Sciences at the University of Potsdam |
