Sigmund Jähn: Bridging East and West in space exploration
Forty years ago, on August 26 1978, Sigmund Jähn was the first German to fly into space. He was born in a small mining town in East Germany. As "our cosmonaut," Jähn became a figurehead of the GDR.
The first German in space
Together with his Soviet colleague Valeri Bykovski, Sigmund Jähn flew to the space station Salyut on August 26, 1978, were the two cosmonauts spent seven days and 20 hours. Jähn conducted experiments with an earth observation spectroscope and did material science research with growing crystals.
Rough landing
The landing in the Kazakh desert did not go entirely as planned. After touchdown, the parachute did not disconnect immediately, and the landing capsule was thrown around. Jähn suffered a back injury and never fully recovered, but it didn't stop him from putting his signature on the capsule.
A lavish welcome
Back in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), people celebrated Jähn as "our cosmonaut." The first German in space inspired young and old alike. For the GDR, Jähn's success was also a political statement: Take us seriously! At least in the race for space, the GDR was now ahead of the Federal Republic of Germany — by several years.
Ambassador in the West
Jähn's influence quickly spread across the border. The Socialist Party (SED) sent him to the West to rally sympathies for East Germany. Here, Jähn attends a meeting of the West German communist youth organisation SDAJ in Düsseldorf in 1982, along with Egon Krenz, head of the East German youth organization FDJ.
Faithful to the idea of space exploration
Long before Jähn's space flight, the "Cosmonaut Center" opened in what was then Karl-Marx-City (now Chemnitz). It was a technology museum offering adventures for kids. Originally, it was dedicated to the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin, who flew in 1961. Today, it still draws crowds in Chemnitz, and it is named after the hero of GDR space exploration.
Space exhibition in Jähn's hometown
Just one year after his space flight, the permanent "Exhibition of the first joint cosmonaut flight of the USSR-GDR" opened in Jähn's hometown Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz. Today it has become the German Space Exhibition, where Jähn still likes to drop by as a guest, like here in 2015, and to give lectures and autographs.
One big family of German space explorers
A rare occasion: All living German astronauts and cosmonauts came together for a photo shoot. They met in Cologne in 2013 at the opening of a new medical research institute (the DLR-Envihab). Jähn had started promoting an exchange among space explorers from both German nations back in 1985.
Two cosmonauts honor the arts
Russian cosmonaut Anatoly Solovyev and Sigmund Jähn present a plaque in honor of Russian chansonnier Vladimir Vysotsky in 2013 in Eberswalde near Berlin. Vysotsky is valued by most Russians for his rough and clear language. In Soviet times, he was one of the few artists who did not shy away from addressing socially critical topics.
Taking time off for family
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Jähn remained active as a consultant for cosmonaut training. On behalf of the European and German space agencies ESA and DLR, he worked as an adviser in the Star City near Moscow. Ever since he retired, he has more time for his grandson, Jakob, who is now 11 years older than he was in this picture.
Mediator between the worlds
Sigmund Jähn is still available today to assist younger astronauts. Many of those who fly to the ISS from Baykonur today can benefit from his experience — especially with Russian space travel. Here Jähn can be seen in the final preparations for the ISS flight of German astronaut Alexander Gerst in 2018.