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”.

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.