nbo short bio

Born in 1967 in Bochum, lives in Hamburg - St. Pauli.

Lots of questions. Study of physics and philosophy in Aachen and Berlin. Still restless. A Trip to India, South East Asia, Oceania, to the Andes. Some illusions about Globalization lost. But a great journey.

So what next? A move into journalism: first at the newspapers Freitag (Berlin), Die Woche (Hamburg) and die tageszeitung (Berlin). Then contributing editor in the Business & Environment section of die tageszeitung, from there to Hamburg: technology editor of Die Woche. In March 2002 the publisher pulls the plug. A big opportunity. Free lance writer since then.

In March 2004 my first book "Nano?! Die Technik des 21. Jahrhunderts",a general introduction to nanotechnology for everybody (Rowohlt Berlin).

Next trip with Dorothee Wolter: from Hamburg to Cape Town with public transport, over land. In five months. A blog for those at home. Becomes a book: "21.000 Kilometers oder die Kunst sitzen zu lernen" – 21,000 kilometres or the art of learning how to sit (Rowohlt).

In parallel: tackling questions. What is capitalism? What is knowledge? What democracy, what globalization? Project "km 21.0" (1990 - 2006, cofounded with Robert von Heusinger). Resulting idea: transcapitalism. More on that in a forthcoming book.

2006 sees LOMU, the local organized multitude arriving. Experiments and social art in public space. Cofounded with Agnieszka Krzeminska. From LOMU into the Hamburg network "Recht auf Stadt" (right to the city). Urban politics, grassroots style. Because everybody is responsible.

In 2011 together with some enthusiasts founding of the first Fab Lab in Hamburg. Writing only is nothing. It's also about: to take part in a good cause. Fab Lab Faublous St. Pauli is such a cause. Hightech for all. The city is our factory. Like that.

Also in 2011 a third book: "Alles auf null" – all down to zero, a manual for reality (Edition Nautilus). Reflections on the crisis, within the crisis.

After six years of Recht auf Stadt in 2015 considerations on the free city of the future: "VON WEGEN. Überlegungen zur freien Stadt der Zukunftl" (Edition Nautilus). Last page: a resolution. A sketch of an urban libertarian communism on a single page. Won't live long enough to witness that.

Inbetween writing on and on: new contributions to other books. Until the next proper book comes.

A last word on football: Would love to see the VfL Bochum as Bundesliga Champion at least once in my life. Or as cup winner. Highly improbable.
































































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