Political and religious leaders have expressed sadness at Paul Spiegel’s death. The leader of Germany’s Jewish community who died on Sunday at the age of 68 was described as a man of “openness, tolerance and understanding” with “great moral authority."

Germany’s oldest Muslim organisation, The Central Institute Islam Archive, called Spiegel "an unforgettable champion of dialogue between the religions."

Even Central Council of Muslims in Germany chairman Ayyub Axel Koehler thanked Spiegel for his fight against religious prejudices – in particular for Spiegel’s words against increasing Islamophobia. “Spiegel has always protected the integrity of all minority groups in Germany. He will be remembered by many Muslims for having stood up against the growing suspicion of Muslims in the war against terror,” Koehler said.

The head of Germany’s Lutheran church, Bishop Wolfgang Huber, honoured Spiegel’s “astounding leadership qualities”. Catholic Cardinal Karl Lehmann was grateful for Spiegel’s “openness, tolerance and understanding, also towards the Christian community – despite his deep-rooted Jewish convictions”.

Widespread praise

Germany’s president, Horst Koehler, called Spiegel “a patriot whose council I will dearly miss”. The president praised Spiegel for placing his trust in Germany despite the pain that his family suffered during the war. It was exactly Spiegel’s belief in reconciliation and dialogue, “rather than confrontation” that impressed Bavaria’s governor, Edmund Stoiber, the most.

On Sunday, radio stations paid tribute to a man who, according to Liberal Party leader Guido Westerwelle, was a man whose moral authority went far beyond the boundaries of the Jewish community.

But it was primarily within the Jewish community where Spiegel had his biggest challenge – that of integrating the tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union who have settled in Germany over the past 15 years as well as absorbing the liberal Jewish organisations into the Central Council structure.

Israel’s Ambassador to Germany, Shimon Stein lauded Spiegel’s “dedication at having been able to safeguard Jewish identity and defend Jewish life in Germany during the crucial period of integration of Jews from the former Soviet Union”.

In the German press

"Germany is in mourning", reads a headline in Der Tagesspiegel. "Germany has reacted to the death of the president of the Central Council of Jews, Paul Spiegel, with deep sadness," the paper says. It observes that politicians of all major parties, church leaders and representatives of other groups paid tribute to Mr Spiegel as a "great democrat" and as a man who worked for tolerance and against racism and anti-Semitism. Die Welt says one of Mr Spiegel's "outstanding feats" was the conclusion of an agreement between the government and the Central Council of Jews in 2003. "For the first time the relationship was given a legal basis," the paper says. It adds that Mr Spiegel is also credited with having made a success of the integration of tens of thousands of Jews from eastern Europe.

Great moral authority

The director of the Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam, Walter Homolka, was particularly saddened by Spiegel’s death.

Homolka had been instrumental in working together with Spiegel and the Central Council to achieve legal recognition of the liberal Jewish movement in Germany today.

Liberal Judaism evolved in Germany in the mid-19th century and until Hitler’s rise to power, in 1933, accounted for a majority of Germany’s prewar population of 500,000. After the war, the remnant Jewish population in Germany, however, was dominated by displaced Jews from Poland and Russia who subscribed to the conservative and orthodox movements and held on to power. In October 2005, Spiegel found consensus with the liberal congregations.

According to Homolka, “Spiegel’s greatest legacy is that of including the liberal movement in sharing federal funding”.

Despite all the praise that Spiegel received from most political and religious institutions, he often felt “left alone and abandoned by those who should have waved banners of support for him during critical periods in Germany’s recent history,” Deutschland Radio commented.

On many occasions, following anti-Semitic acts of violence, Spiegel questioned whether Jews should remain in Germany.

The designated head of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democratic Party, Kurt Beck, used the occasion of Spiegel’s death to call upon all forces to have more resolve in combating anti-Semitism by focusing on Spiegel’s "great moral authority."