1961 – 1969

Primary and lower secondary school

1969 – 1972

Vocational training as a ceramic painter

1970 – 1973

High-school diploma (evening school)

1972 – 1978

Ceramic painter

1978 – 1979

Sozialakademie Dortmund (advanced education on workers‘ rights)

1979 – 1980

Ceramic painter

1980 – 1982

Vocational training as a full-time trade union secretary (Gewerkschaftssekretärin) at the German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB)

1982 – 1991

Trade union secretary at the DGB in Kassel

1991 – 1993

Trade union secretary at the DGB in the Rhine-Lahn area

1993 – 1995

Chairwoman of the DGB in the Rhine-Lahn area

1996 – 2001

Trade union secretary at the DGB in Koblenz

Since 2001

Chairwoman of the DGB in Koblenz

1972

Joined SPD

1974 – 1986

Member of local party chapters at her residences

1994 – 2003

Member of the county council Westerwald (Kreistag)

1998 – 2003

Member of the municipalities’ council of Wirges (Verbandsgemeinderat)

Since 2009

Member of the town council of Wirges (Stadtrat)

Since 2012

Deputy chairwoman of the local party chapter in Wirges

Since 2012

Chairwoman of municipalities association of Wirges (Gemeindeverband)

Since 2013

Member of Parliament (Bundestag committees: Defence, Economic Cooperation and Development, Subcommittee on Civilian Crisis Prevention and Integrated Conflict Management, vice-chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group for East Africa)