• Born on 13 May 1960 in Eberschütz (Northern Hesse)
• 1980: Abitur, Albert Schweitzer School, Hofgeismar
• 1980–1982: Military service (reserve officer)
• 1983–1995: Studied the subjects German Language and Literature, Philosophy, Sports Science, Journalism, History and Art History (Georg-August University of Göttingen, Philipps University of Marburg)
• 1993–1996: Management and delivery of civilian service training at the German Red Cross, Hesse Regional Association e. V.
• 1996: Master’s degree in German Studies, Linguistics and Art History (with distinction) in Marburg
• 1998: PhD in the subject of Modern German Literature (summa cum laude) in Marburg
• 1999–2000: Lectureships in literary studies and philosophy in Marburg, and research assistant at the Geschichtswerkstatt Marburg e. V.
• 2000–2011: Assistant Professor of Comparative Literature and Philosophy in the Department of English and Philosophy, Yeditepe University (Istanbul)
• 2000–2006: Academic Director of the Traugott Fuchs Archive, Yeditepe University (Istanbul)
• 2006–2008: Research fellow at the Centre for Literary and Cultural Research (Berlin) and project director of the ‘Erich Auerbach Letter Edition’
• Summer 2010 and 2011: Nietzsche Fellow in Residence at the Friedrich Nietzsche College of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar
• 2011: Habilitation in the subject of Philosophy at the University of Oldenburg and award of the venia legendi with a specialisation in the philosophy of culture
• May 2012: Appointed to a professorship in Comparative Literature and Philosophy of Culture at Yeditepe University (Istanbul)
• Sept–Dec 2013: Karl Jaspers Fellow in Residence at the International Karl Jaspers Society, Oldenburg
• January 2014–September 2014: Acting Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Oldenburg
• May 2014: Head of the Erich Auerbach Archive at the Institute of Philosophy
• Since Oct. 2014: Research Fellow at the Institute of Philosophy

Academic service: Member of doctoral, appointment and habilitation committees at Turkish and German universities

Reviewer: Israel Science Foundation, German Research Foundation (areas: idealist philosophy , and critical theory), Fulbright Commission

Main areas of teaching and research: Pre-Socratics, Stoicism, Patristics, European moral philosophy and aesthetics, German idealism in poetry and philosophy, transitions to anthropological and historical materialism, Critical Theory, philosophy of religion and language, existentialism, hermeneutics, literary theory, methodology and the history of the sciences of philology, research on exile, German literature from the 18th to the 20th century

Memberships: GEW (Education and Science Trade Union), InkriT (Berlin Institute for Critical Theory)

Voluntary role: Landscape conservation officer for the City of Oldenburg, responsible for the Hausbäkeniederung landscape conservation area and the Everstenmoor nature reserve (April 2017–January 2019)