Ph.D. in Philosophy. 1977 – 1999 Professor of Political Science, Department of Political Science, Free University of Berlin; 1993 – 1995 Dean, Department of Political Science, Free University of Berlin; Since 1999 President, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder); 1977 – 1984 Member of the “Commission for Fundamental Values” of the Social Democratic Party of Germany; since 1996 again member of that commission; 1985 – 1987 President of the German Society of Political Scientists. Since 1994, Member of the Presidium of the Deutsche Vereinigung für Politische Wissenschaft. Publications on normative and philosophical problems of theories of democracy and socialism, on the history of political ideas, on political psychology. In 2004 appointed the first Koordinatorin for German-Polish between-social and co-operation close to the border.

Publications include: Politics and Guilt. The destructive potential of silence (Frankfurt a.M. 1997) Anti-Communism and Anti-Americanism in Germany. Continuity and Change since 1945 (Baden-Baden 1999)