Who I am

Where I’ve been

I grew up in the Austrian mountain village of Wald am Arlberg, born in 1977; a working-class child.

Later: graduate economist, Arabist, Henri Nannen School of Journalism.

I lived in Arab and Islamic countries for twelve years. I love the dusty archives and talking to people on the street. But I also have another side: I learned to program on an 8086.

I combine both: a feel for people and an understanding of the machine.

1

Mountain village
  • I am an experienced skier and alpinist who grew up in one of the most challenging ski resorts in the world, the Arlberg.
  • I was already programming as a child – on an 8086 with 512 KB RAM. I built my first website in 1994, line by line in the text editor. Even before the Internet, I was connected to the outside world via my mailbox (BBS).
  • I went to secondary school in Klostertal and later graduated from the commercial academy in Bludenz.
  • I then studied economics at the Universities of Innsbruck and Münster and graduated in 2003 with a degree in economics.
A young man in a striped shirt sits on a wooden structure with a view of the mountain landscape. High mountains and a clear blue sky can be seen in the background.
Two people are skiing on a snowy slope while the sun is high in the clear blue sky. The deep tracks in the snow show the movement of the skiers.
Panoramic view of a mountainous landscape with steep slopes and green valleys, under a clear blue sky, showcasing a mix of rocky terrains and forested areas.
A young man in a striped shirt sits on a wooden structure with a view of the mountain landscape. High mountains and a clear blue sky can be seen in the background.
Two people are skiing on a snowy slope while the sun is high in the clear blue sky. The deep tracks in the snow show the movement of the skiers.
Panoramic view of a mountainous landscape with steep slopes and green valleys, under a clear blue sky, showcasing a mix of rocky terrains and forested areas.

2

Journalism
  • I have been working in magazine and newspaper journalism for more than twenty-five years, and as a freelance journalist since 2005.
  • At the age of 16 , I became a freelancer for the Vorarlberger Nachrichten.
  • During my studies, I did a traineeship at the news magazine profil in Vienna and worked in Germany as a freelancer in police editorial offices, including the B.Z. in Berlin and the Cologne Express.
  • After Henri Nannen School of Journalism in Hamburg, I was employed as an editor at Stern magazine in the Germany section (D2). At that time, Stern had a circulation of 1.2 million copies and was available in piles at train station kiosks.
  • I left Stern to study Arabic in Egypt.
  • In Cairo, I worked as a guest editor for the Egyptian daily newspaper al-Masry al-Youm.
A green sign on a wall with the words 'Room 1114' and the words 'Stay/Library' indicating the entrance to a room in a school.
A newspaper article entitled "The great battle between the 'Brothers' and the 'Salafists'". It shows three portraits of men: on the left a bearded man smiling, in the middle a man with a beard and glasses looking serious, and on the right a man with his hand raised taking part in a discussion. The article deals with conflicts in Egyptian society.
A person is standing in the desert on sandy ground, with mountains in the background and some camels and seats visible in the background. It is daytime and the sun is shining brightly.
A green sign on a wall with the words 'Room 1114' and the words 'Stay/Library' indicating the entrance to a room in a school.
A newspaper article entitled "The great battle between the 'Brothers' and the 'Salafists'". It shows three portraits of men: on the left a bearded man smiling, in the middle a man with a beard and glasses looking serious, and on the right a man with his hand raised taking part in a discussion. The article deals with conflicts in Egyptian society.
A person is standing in the desert on sandy ground, with mountains in the background and some camels and seats visible in the background. It is daytime and the sun is shining brightly.

3

Wide world
  • I have made the world my home. I lived abroad for more than twelve years, in regions such as the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Greece.
  • From 2007 to 2012, I studied Arabic at the University of Alexandria, Egypt. As one of the few German-speaking journalists, I was in the middle of the Arab Spring during this time and witnessed it from its emergence to its failure.
  • I have not only traveled to the most important Arab and Islamic countries, I have experienced them, including Sudan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
  • I share my passion for the Arabic language on Arabic for Nerds, a platform that I founded myself.
  • I lived in Athens for two years during the financial and refugee crisis. There I dealt intensively with the economic and social consequences.
A man in sunglasses and a black hoodie stands on a street corner, holding a smartphone in his hand as he looks down at the sidewalk. In the background, several women in black dresses walk past and a yellow car drives along the street. Palm trees and a traffic sign can also be seen.
A damaged and littered car body stands on a busy street, surrounded by a crowd of people taking part in a protest. Some people are standing on the car, while others stand at attention in the background. The scene shows a mixture of tension and commitment from the participants.
Crowd walking outdoors in a religious site, surrounded by pillars and awnings, with minarets in the background and a blue sky.
A man in sunglasses and a black hoodie stands on a street corner, holding a smartphone in his hand as he looks down at the sidewalk. In the background, several women in black dresses walk past and a yellow car drives along the street. Palm trees and a traffic sign can also be seen.
A damaged and littered car body stands on a busy street, surrounded by a crowd of people taking part in a protest. Some people are standing on the car, while others stand at attention in the background. The scene shows a mixture of tension and commitment from the participants.
Crowd walking outdoors in a religious site, surrounded by pillars and awnings, with minarets in the background and a blue sky.
Topics

As a journalist, I have no fear of contact – not even with politics. But what I like best is digging into complicated research to find the stories behind the stories.

  • Countries & society: Arab world (especially Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia), Austria, countries in upheaval and crisis.
  • Economics: I explain complex relationships simply. From GDP and globalization to the history of economics.
  • Religion: Islam and Christianity; religious fanaticism.
  • Red light & blue light: crime, corruption and the fate of people on the margins of society.
  • AI & Technology: Since 1998, I have been a Linux user (Arch; KDE) – I prefer the terminal over colorful graphical interfaces. I am fluent in languages like Python, PHP, CSS, Bash, and JavaScript. I experimented with neural networks and cellular automata back in 1999 during my studies. Code and AI not only assist me in research but are also topics I enjoy writing about.
  • Mountains & alpinism: practically in the cradle.
  • Chess: I played a lot as a teenager. Old love.
A cup of tea stands next to a piece of baklava on a plate in a café, with a busy street scene in the background.
A group of people in suits and formal wear chatting while holding drinks in a modern meeting room.
Street sign with directions to key locations, including Makkah and the airport, against an urban backdrop.
A cup of tea stands next to a piece of baklava on a plate in a café, with a busy street scene in the background.
A group of people in suits and formal wear chatting while holding drinks in a modern meeting room.
Street sign with directions to key locations, including Makkah and the airport, against an urban backdrop.
What sets me apart
  • I prefer to talk about the lives of ordinary people. As a working-class child from a mountain village, I quickly find access to people and rarely feel like a stranger.
  • I do my research in Arabic and have an excellent network in the Arab world. Because I lived there for many years, I know the cultural and religious codes behind the news and how to behave respectfully there.
  • Five years of schooling in accounting, the state examination for entrepreneurs and a degree in economics – I can read statistics and balance sheets and translate complex economic relationships into everyday life.
  • Magazine journalism has taught me to be persistent. I don’t give up until I find the story.
In an interview with the British magazine “Reader’s House”, I talk about my way of working. Read the interview online or download the print version as a PDF.
An article about Gerald Drißner, an Austrian journalist in Germany, who shares his experiences in Arabic language and culture, as well as misconceptions about Islam. The article includes personal anecdotes and his perspective on journalism, business and Arabic studies.