Reinhard Bütikofer
Reinhard Hans Bütikofer (born January 26, 1953) is a German politician for the Alliance 90/The Greens party and one of the two current party leaders, together with Claudia Roth.
Bütikofer was born in Mannheim and grew up in Speyer. He studied philosophy, sinology and history in Heidelberg, but did not finish his studies. He was engaged in the student's movement and one of the "K groups", the maoistic Kommunistischer Bund Westdeutschland (KBW). From the 1980s onwards, he became active in Heidelberg municipal politics for the Green-Alternative List.
In 1984, he was elected into the town council of Heidelberg and became member of the Green party, the starting point of his political carrier with Alliance 90/The Greens. In 1988, he was elected in the Landtag (state parliament) of Baden-Württemberg. He was Member of the Landtag until 1996.
After a "family year", in 1997 Bütikofer became co-chairman of the Baden-Württembergian Green party. Circa two years later he was elected secretary general of the federal party. In December, 2002 he became co-chairman of the federal party.
Bütikofer's father was a post office worker, his mother a housewife. From his relationship with Henriette Katzenstein, he is father of three daughters. Since 2001, Bütikofer is married to Renee Krebs.