Elke Büdenbender Explained

Elke Büdenbender
Order:Spouse of the President of Germany
President:Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Term Label:Assumed role
Term Start:19 March 2017
Predecessor:Daniela Schadt
Birth Name:Elke Büdenbender
Birth Date:14 January 1962
Birth Place:Weidenau, West Germany
Children:Merit Steinmeier

Elke Büdenbender (born 14 January 1962) is a German jurist. She is also the wife of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the current President of Germany.

Early life

Büdenbender attended intermediate secondary school in Siegen, after which she trained as an industrial clerk at a company in the machine building industry in Siegen. In 1982 she attended Siegerland College in Siegen and then worked as a clerk at a logistics company. In 1985, she began her degree in law at Justus Liebig University in Giessen, where she passed her first state law examination in 1991.

Career

From 1987, Büdenbender worked as a student assistant and later as a research assistant to Professor Brun-Otto Bryde at the Chair of Public Law. She completed her practical legal training at Hanover Regional Court in 1994, when she passed her second state law examination.

Thereafter, Büdenbender worked as a judge at Hanover Administrative Court. She has been a judge at Berlin Administrative Court since 2000. She is currently on long-term leave[1] in order to devote her time to being the first lady.[2]

Other activities

Personal life

In 1995 Büdenbender married Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who was elected as the twelfth President of Germany on 12 February 2017. They have one daughter. On 24 August 2010, she received a kidney transplant that was donated by her husband.[4]

Honours

Foreign Honours

Notes and References

  1. Web site: www.bundespraesident.de: Der Bundespräsident / Elke Büdenbender. www.bundespraesident.de. en. 2017-05-30.
  2. News: Germany's First Lady Problem. Sauerbrey. Anna. 2017-04-06. The New York Times. 2017-05-30. 0362-4331.
  3. https://www.dizf.de/english/foundation/board-of-trustees/board-of-trustees-2019.html Board of Trustees
  4. https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/transplantation-steinmeiers-nierenspende-ist-geglueckt-a-713635.html Transplantation - Steinmeiers Nierenspende ist geglückt
  5. https://www.quirinale.it/onorificenze/insigniti/360242 Sito web del Quirinale: dettaglio decorato.
  6. Web site: Par Triju Zvaigžņu ordeņa piešķiršanu - Latvijas Vēstnesis.
  7. https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2022/10/12/pdfs/BOE-A-2022-16655.pdf Boletín Oficial del Estado