Michael von Guttenberg is a German-born, naturalized US citizen. He was educated in Germany and the US, where he received a BA degree from Albion College, attended Wayne State University in Detroit, and received an MA degree from the University of Michigan in German Language and Literature. Subsequently, as head of the German Department at New College in Sarasota, Florida, he was the German instructor for three years in all levels of proficiency. In addition, he offered courses in literature, linguistics, and interpreting. Later he was a property manager for a German investor, managing a shopping center for 11 years.