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. 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.

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:


 * 1) Hero of the GDR
 * 2) Order of Karl Marx
 * 3) Hero of Labour
 * 4) Star of People's Friendship
 * 5) Patriotic Order of Merit
 * 6) Banner of Labour
 * 7) Scharnhorst Order
 * 8) Blücher Order
 * 9) Combat Order of Merit for the People & Fatherland