After the death of Sigmund Jähn, the first German in space, politicians and scientists have expressed their respect for the lifetime achievement of the 82-year-old. Dietmar Bartsch , leader of the left-wing parliamentary group, expressed his condolences to Jähn's widow and relatives. On Twitter he wrote: "A real hero and yet such a humble person." Bartsch's colleague Gregor Gysi also called Jähn a "real hero of our time": "As the first German in space, he remains in our history books."
Jähn died on Saturday, as the German Aerospace Center (DLR) announced on Sunday (read an obituary for him here). The cosmonaut was a popular hero in the GDR. Despite his fame, he always remained modest - and was therefore especially revered.
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Sigmund Jähn: The modest cosmonautCDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak called Jähn a true pioneer. He has inspired millions of young people to go beyond themselves and to be curious. "All of Germany mourns for its first man in space today," wrote Ziemiak on Twitter. Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow said he was mourning a strong man: "Dear Sigmund, I wish you a good flight! Take care of the earth, was your advice!"
On the 23rd of January 2019 I had the honor to meet Sigmund Jähn personally in Jena! Now he died and I mourn for a strong man . Dear Sigmund, I wish you a good flight! Take care of the earth, was your advice! pic.twitter.com/TbEGzudpMp
- Bodo Ramelow (@bodoramelow) September 22, 2019Prime Minister of Saarland, Tobias Hans, praised Jähn as a "role model as few exist and gave". And Saxony's head of government Michael Kretschmer (CDU) wrote: "I have come to know him as a clever and modest Saxon and we will keep his life's work alive."
Jahn's companions from space travel also expressed their grief. "The news of the death of Sigmund Jähn has touched me deeply," said Jan Wörner , Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA). "Whenever we met, it was very personal, a friendship had been created that was not just about space travel and its tireless support of European astronauts."
"The first German in space has always understood itself as a bridge builder between East and West in terms of the peaceful use of space," said Pascale Ehrenfreund , CEO of the German Aerospace Center (DLR). "His message, for the earth into space, we will preserve in honorable memory and continue."
Obituary for Sigmund Jähn
Sigmund Werner Paul Jähn was born on February 13, 1937. He came from the Saxon town of Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz. Jähn was a trained book printer - and lieutenant colonel of the East German Army NVA. After training as a fighter pilot in the Air Force of the NVA, he was prepared in 1976 in the Soviet Union with a hard training on his flight into space.
On 26 August 1978 Jähn launched the rocket "Soyuz 31" from the Russian space center Baikonur. Together with the Soviet cosmonaut Waleri Bykowski he was 7 days, 20 hours and 49 minutes in space.
After the turn Jähn was initially unemployed. Later he worked for the German Aerospace Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) and trained European astronauts in the Russian star city.