Born 1951 in Heide, Germany. Graduated in Social Anthropology, Romance Languages and General Linguistics, Hamburg University (1970-1977), Doctorate (1977), Assistant Bayreuth University (1980-1986), German Habilitation (1986), Professor for Social Anthropology, Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University (1986-1999), dean of the Faculty of Sociology (1994-1995), chairman of the Sociology of Development Research Centre, Bielefeld University (1987-1989 and 1992-1994), field work: in Kenya (1975-1976), journey overland to India; 2 years of field research in Kenya (1978-1980); 10-month stay in Ethiopia and Kenya (1984), Director (emeritus) and Scientific Member at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology (since 1999), Honorary Professor for Social Anthropology at Univ. of Leipzig and Univ. Halle-Wittenberg (since 2001).