Frank-Walter Steinmeier & Elke Büdenbender
In 2017, Frank-Walter Steinmeier reached the pinnacle of his political career when he was elected Federal President after a single round of voting. With his well-known, mischievous smile, he made it clear that he had two main goals: not to forget Germany’s past and to stand up against the rising right-wing populism.
Steinmeier grew up in the small West German town of Detmold, the son of a carpenter and a factory worker. He passed his Abitur (university entrance diploma), studied law and eventually obtained a doctorate. He joined the SPD (Social Democratic Party) as early as 1975. During his studies, he met Elke Büdenbender, who also became a lawyer. Although the two are reluctant to talk about the beginnings of their relationship, their path together was laid out. They married in 1995, and their daughter Merit was born a year later.
