Stahl studied mechanical engineering, business, economics and philosophy in Hamburg, Hagen, Bordeaux and Witten. From 1987-1997 he was an officer of the German Armed Forces. From 2000-2003 he lectured in the Department of MIS and the German Department of University College Dublin, Ireland. Since 2003 he has been working as a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Computer Sciences and Engineering and as a research associate at the Centre for Computing and Social Responsiblilty of De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.