First and foremost I would like to thank my mother Andrea and my sister Nike for their unwavering support throughout my whole life and especially during the writing of this thesis. Thank you for lifting me up when I was down, for pushing me when I was lazy and for proof-reading every word I ever wrote.Next and most importantly, I want to thank my supervisor Alexander Pretschner.Through this joint journey, you taught me how to get to the point, to tell a good story, and to be a decent researcher and human being. You had my back when I did mess up and supported me when I tried something new. I am especially grateful for the honest and tough discussions -they made this text and all my work so much better. Thank you for shaping my view of science, good work, and my philosophy of life.A special thanks goes to all my colleagues past and present. You made the chair something I was looking forward to almost every single day. We made so many wonderful memories, shared stories and insights. All of you shaped my thinking and attitude and I am a better man for it. I am proud to have worked with you and grateful to be able to consider you friends. Thank you.Last, but not least, I want to thank my friends for their help, support and especially for the time not spent on the thesis. Anastasia, for making this last leg of my PhD so special; Celia, Eva, Evi, Hannes, Luis, Marci, Maresa, Michael, Peer, and Philip for those countless hikes and climbs that kept me sane; Niina and Jan for our project and the discussions that inspired me so much; Anne, Corinna, Luisa, Markus, and Nikolaus for those long nights and deep talks.