Hero of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was anhonorific title awarded by the formerEast German state, accompanied by a certificate and medal.[2] The title was instituted by thepolitburo of theSocialist Unity Party on 29 October 1975 as the most prestigious award of the GDR and first awarded on 28 November 1975.[3][4] In total, it was awarded on 17 occasions to 11recipients.
The title could be awarded to people who had—by rendering extraordinary service oracts of heroism[4][1]—contributed to the development and strengthening of the German Democratic Republic, itsinternational standing andauthority, or itsmilitary security.[4] A demonstration of commitment to duty and the willingness to make personal sacrifice were required, as were proven bravery and audacity.[4][5] The following categories of person were generally eligible to receive the award:[4]
Combatants who had been engaged in military opposition or unlawful civilianresistance againstfascism
Following the example of theSoviet honorific titleHero of the Soviet Union,[9] the awardHero of the GDR entitled the holder to wear a five-pointed gold star medal, be presented with a certificate, and receive afinancial reward.[2]
After 1978, recipients were also required to be awarded theOrder of Karl Marx.[2] Both the medal and the certificate were to be returned to the state upon the death of the recipient.[10]
Originally, an annual quota of 10 awards was envisaged.[11] Recipients could receive the award multiple times, resulting in some being honoured as 'twice Hero', or—solely in the case ofLeader of the Soviet Union,Leonid Brezhnev—'three times Hero' of the GDR.[12]
The first foreign national to be honoured as a Hero of the GDR wasLeonid Brezhnev, on 13 December 1976. Brezhnev also received the award in 1979 and again in 1981.[14][15][16]
There was a specific order of precedence laid down in itsgazette for the wearing of the some 195 GDR medals and awards, devised according to the relative prestige of each honour.[8] The following senior distinctions were to be worn on the upper left breast (top left to bottom right as viewed) in this order:[32]
^abLohmann, Helmuth (6 October 1979)."Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, Soviet politician, 1906-1982". AKG Images.Associated Press. AKG184074. Retrieved2023-08-04.Visit of Leonid Brezhnev in East Berlin, on the occasion of the celebrations of the 30th Anniversary of the GDR on 6.10.1979: Brezhnev and Honecker exchange kisses, after the appointment of the Soviet state to the "Hero of the GDR".
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