• Source: Hero of the German Democratic Republic

Hero of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was an honorific title awarded by the former East German state, accompanied by a certificate and medal. The title was instituted by the politburo of the Socialist Unity Party on 29 October 1975 as the most prestigious award of the GDR and first awarded on 28 November 1975. In total, it was awarded on 17 occasions to 11 recipients.




Award criteria


The title could be awarded to people who had—by rendering extraordinary service or acts of heroism—contributed to the development and strengthening of the German Democratic Republic, its international standing and authority, or its military security. A demonstration of commitment to duty and the willingness to make personal sacrifice were required, as were proven bravery and audacity. The following categories of person were generally eligible to receive the award:

Combatants who had been engaged in military opposition or unlawful civilian resistance against fascism
Servicemen of the National People's Army and the other armed services of the GDR
Civilians working in cooperation with the armed services of the GDR
Foreign nationals in exceptional circumstances
Cosmonauts, who received the honour at the same time as being awarded the special honorific title Cosmonaut of the German Democratic Republic




Medal and privileges


Following the example of the Soviet honorific title Hero of the Soviet Union, the award Hero of the GDR entitled the holder to wear a five-pointed gold star medal, be presented with a certificate, and receive a financial reward.
After 1978, recipients were also required to be awarded the Order of Karl Marx. Both the medal and the certificate were to be returned to the state upon the death of the recipient.
Originally, an annual quota of 10 awards was envisaged. Recipients could receive the award multiple times, resulting in some being honoured as 'twice Hero', or—solely in the case of Leader of the Soviet Union, Leonid Brezhnev—'three times Hero' of the GDR.




History


The new title was first awarded on 28 November 1975 to General of the National People's Army, Heinz Hoffmann, on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
The first foreign national to be honoured as a Hero of the GDR was Leonid Brezhnev, on 13 December 1976. Brezhnev also received the award in 1979 and again in 1981.
Only two of the original 11 recipients are still alive: the cosmonauts Vladimir Kovalyonok and Aleksander Ivanchenkov, who crewed EO-2 of the Soviet orbital space station Salyut 6. Sigmund Jähn (d. 2019) was the last citizen of the former GDR to bear the title, as both Kovalyonok and Ivanchenkov are Russian (formerly USSR) citizens.




Recipients






= Members of the GDR Government

=
1975 & 1980: Heinz Hoffmann (National Defence Minister)
1975 & 1982: Erich Mielke (State Security Minister)
1975 & 1983: Friedrich Dickel (Interior Minister)
1982 & 1987: Erich Honecker (Head of Party & State)
1984: Willi Stoph (Prime Minister & Head of State)




= Members of the USSR Government

=
1976, 1979 & 1981: Leonid Brezhnev
1985: Nikolai Tikhonov




= Cosmonauts

=
1978: Sigmund Jähn
1978: Valery Bykovsky
1978: Vladimir Kovalyonok
1978: Alexander Ivanchenkov




Order of precedence of awards of the GDR


There was a specific order of precedence laid down in its gazette for the wearing of the some 195 GDR medals and awards, devised according to the relative prestige of each honour. The following senior distinctions were to be worn on the upper left breast (top left to bottom right as viewed) in this order:

Hero of the GDR
Order of Karl Marx
Hero of Labour
Star of People's Friendship
Patriotic Order of Merit
Banner of Labour
Scharnhorst Order
Blücher Order
Combat Order of Merit for the People & Fatherland




See also


Orders, decorations, and medals of East Germany




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Chris Evans
• Populisme sayap kanan
• Bernie Sanders
• Kekaisaran Romawi Suci
• Wilhelm Pieck
• Hero of the German Democratic Republic
• Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic
• East Germany
• Hero (title)
• Aleksandr Ivanchenkov
• History of East Germany
• Heinz Hoffmann
• Vladimir Kovalyonok
• Sigmund Jähn
• Awards and decorations received by Leonid Brezhnev