1985-1989 Studies of economics and social sciences at the University of Augsburg. 1993 doctorate, 1998 habilitation (venia legendi for economics).

1999-2000 Substitute for the Chair of Economic and Social Policy at the University of Passau. 2001-2007 Professorship for Social Policy and Social Economics at the Ruhr-University Bochum.

Since 2008 holder of the Chair of Economic Ethics and Social Policy at the KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. From 2008 to 2014 Director of the Central Institute for Marriage and Family in Society (ZFG).

Althammer is advisor to the Commission for Economic and Social Issues of the German Bishops' Conference. He is also a member of the Committees for Social Policy, Population Economics and Business Ethics at the association for Socialpolitik and the Committee for Economic and Social Sciences of the Görres Society. From 2001 to 2014 he was a member of the scientific advisory council for family issues at the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs.

Althammer is married and has three children.

Textbook on social policy, 9. Aufl., Springer 2014, ISBN 978-3642318900, in cooperation with Heinz Lampert.

Ökonomische theorie der Familienpolitik: theoretische und empirische Befunde zu ausgewählten Problemen staatlicher Familienpolitik, Physica Heidelberg 2000, ISBN 3-7908-1338-9

Ehe und Famile in der Steuerrechts- und Sozialordnung, Mohr Siebeck Tübingen 2006, ISBN 3-16-148614-5, in cooperation with Ute Klammer.

Die deutsche Sozialversicherung - eine Historische Fehlentscheidung?, Bachem Köln 2004, ISBN 3-7616-1886-7

A complete list of all publications is available at Edoc.KU