Born in Munich; studied art history in Munich; research assistant and fellow in Munich (Prestel-Verlag, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen), Berlin (Berlinische Galerie, Kulturhauptstadt 1988), Santa Monica, California (J. P. Getty Centre) and Bonn (curator at the Kunstmuseum).
As part of the exhibition "Stations of Modernism" for "Berlin - European City of Culture 1988" reconstruction of the Munich "Degenerate Art Exhibition"; numerous publications on "degenerate art", provenance research and collection history in Germany and abroad; from 1991 to 2017 at the Museum Folkwang in Essen as curator responsible for the 19th to 21st century collection; 1998 to 2009 development of the art collection of Sparkasse Essen; since 2010 member of the board of trustees for the art collection of Franz Haniel & Cie. in Duisburg.
After 26 years at the Folkwang Museum and consulting positions in the art trade, with Grisebach as expert, author, provenance researcher and scientific consultant from autumn 2025
