 Jörn was born in Bergen auf Rügen.After attending school in Usedom and Wolgast, he completed his military service with the NVA from 1983 to 1986.In September 1986 he began studying history and German studies at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald, where between 1988 and 1990 he specialized in medieval and early modern history under the supervision of .