At the source of the Ruhr area
I was born in the Sauerland region at the source of the Ruhr River and grew up in Oberhausen-Alstaden, in the heart of the Ruhr coal mining area. As a child of the Ruhr region, I nurtured my connection to nature through my hobby of horses and spent most of my time outdoors, surrounded by greenery along the Ruhr. In Mülheim an der Ruhr, I trained as a jockey at the racecourse under the tutelage of Rainer Werning. He has my deepest respect and gratitude. To this day, I value him and draw strength from his wealth of experience, his exceptional expertise in handling the noble Thoroughbred breed, and the strong family bond that motivated us all to achieve our best. Thank you, Reiner, for this incredible gift.
Lifestyle in a culture in the year 1421 of Islam
According to Western time, this was 1981, the return after more than 2 years of living and working near Medina and Mecca (Saudi Arabia).
One then awakens from the dream of the enchanting "Tale from 1001 Nights". For a woman from Germany, it is strange not to be allowed to stroll alone or drive a car alone.
The Arab culture there is diverse and very religiously influenced. I even had to distill the liquor myself and bake the bread myself… and so saying goodbye and returning home wasn't difficult.
Children and family are the greatest thing
Family life is not just our future, it is the source of life, love, closeness and trust.
It is the prerequisite that leads to the healthy, holistic development of the child and all family members. From it emerges a spirit of inquiry as well as a high motivation for top performance, which benefits the cultural community.
That's how I experienced it in my large, warm families on both my mother's and father's sides, who came from Saxony and Westphalia. When I started my own family, I was able to live that out and felt great joy in watching everyone develop.
I am infinitely grateful to my loving and warm-hearted parents, grandparents and ancestors, who instilled in me a free culture and valuable tradition of togetherness, for this human richness, for exemplified great human values that are imperishable and the highest human good.
And so varied and exciting was my professional life alongside my family, running my own numismatics and philately business. The travel involved enriched me with human experiences, as did the success that came with it.
Study and love of wisdom
When I relinquished my board membership in the SPD District VIII in the city of Essen in 2000, and thus also my party membership card, I studied from 2000 to 2005.
I spent a lot of time studying at Ruhr University Bochum, focusing on educational science, Catholic theology, and law. To my delight, Ruhr University is situated in a green area, which I greatly appreciated as a peaceful haven.
Following my research-oriented internship at the State Parliament in Düsseldorf in 2001, the focus of my studies was on business ethics and educational science.
In the state parliament, on the FDP's committee for science and research, I was influenced by my personal contact with the passionate parachutist Jürgen Möllemann, more on a human than a political level.
Breakfast with Christian Lindner overlooking the Rhine was entertaining, but it was by no means a cure for my political stance towards the parties.
