germany here. I've needed a long, comprehensive list of former employments - but not with the CV that goes for a job application.
The CV I use for job applications is 2 pages of information and for academia an additional list of my most relevant publications.
In your case, an analogous showcase list of relevant projects may be good. Showcase implying that this is a selection of projects that are either publicly available or that the respective owners of the project have agreed to give you a reference if asked.
Typically, I'd expect that you are not free to talk about many relevant industry projects and in that case I'd put particularly important information about professional responsibilities that are not clear from the position into an explanatory line in the employment history.
The appropriate level of project "details" for this does not conflict with NDAs*.
Employment history needs to be complete in the sense that the time since your graduation should be covered without gaps (short transition periods between two positions are OK). But this is not only a showcase of jobs that contributed to your relevant professional experience for this application. Substantial gaps read "unemploymed".
OTOH, it doesn't need to be complete in the sense that one doesn't list student summer jobs or the like (again, unless relevant).
The traditional German CV format is chronologically, nowadays reverse chronological as e.g. in the so-called European CV format is widespread as well (that's what I use). I haven't seen a text-form CV in my whole life (though I remember being told in school that this exists).
Some expected sections may seem irrelevant, but are expected/typically stated/still fairly often given:
- I'd always state having a driver's license for medium-sized trucks + trailers - even when applying for office/lab jobs.
Car driver's license is always important info - truck + trailer info happens automatically by saying "driving license: C1E" instead of "C".
- photo: is typically given
- gender, marital status, religious affiliation
Nowadays, I'd state them only if there's a reason for that. E.g. religious affiliation when applying where the employer is a religious affiliation, gender if that helps whoever is answering to address me appropriately.
I'd rather expect to see them with the traditional CV format.
going back to graduation
Education is a mandatory section. I'd expect to see there (with date and granting institution):
- habilitation or PhD
- professional degrees (Diplom, BSc, MSc, journeyman's/master's certificate [Gesellenbrief/Meisterbrief], ...),
- the final qualification from school (e.g. Abitur)
Higher ones do not always replace lower ones. E.g. the final school qualification stays even if you apply for a professorship. Diplom or MSc stay regardless of PhD/habilitation/professorship (The Diplom/MSc can imply legally relevant professional qualifications which the PhD or habilitation don't.).
Very comprehensive lists may have to be filled in with HR as part of the "start your job" formalities. With very comprehensive I mean that with a PhD and 15 years of professional experience I've still been asked when and where I attended elementary school (that is an extreme example, though).
I'd expect this may happen for positions in the public service (including as in my case academia) or maybe in industries that have similar and very strict union tariff salaries/wages: The comprehensive employment list is used to determine professional experience in particular if you claim more experience than can be negotiated free-handedy according to tariff.
For academia, there are also legal specialties about fixed term contracts which are legal for longer total times in academia.
Why they ask about elementary school I have not the faintest idea.
At that point you'll also be asked about religious affiliation and marital status and children. Both are needed when registering a new employee with the tax office.
Should I keep track of my full employment [...] history?
The comprehensive list of all employments that are subject to mandatory social insurance within the EU is also needed for pension cass. So yes, you should keep track, but certainly not in the CV you use for job applications.
* If they do, I'd usually expect the clauses to be void (unless maybe you got special and fair compensation). Over here, you do have a right to get a certificate from your employer stating the professional responsibilities and experience you gained during your job.
Of course they won't give project details or trade secrets. E.g. I do pattern recognition. The employer cannot say "cbeleites developed NewSecretModel for Client AG", but they can and should (if relevant) say "cbeleites' professional duties included development of new machine learning algorithms".