Cohn-Bendit, Daniel

(1945- )

   student leader, anarchist

   Born in Montauban, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, whose parents had emigrated from Germany, where he later received part of his education, spent his youth in Paris. In May 1968, he led the student uprisings there, culminating in the takeover of the university at Nanterre. These events, reflecting the political, economic, and cultural malaise of the period, were followed by labor union strikes and, finally, the electoral circumstances that culminated in President charles de gaulle's leaving power. Cohn-Bendit later lived and taught in Frankfurt, Germany, where he joined the German Green Party (1984) and served as a deputy mayor (1989). In 1994, he helped to form the European Green Party (GUPE).