As news of Schmidt's death reverberated around the world, tributes began to pour in from leaders in Germany and beyond.
Chancellor Angela Merkel recognized on Tuesday the merits of the former leader in a meeting with parliamentarians from her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
"I stand with deep respect in front of Helmut Schmidt's accomplishments," she said.
President Joachim Gauck, meanwhile, described Schmidt as one of the most important politicians of Germany's post-war period.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who belongs to Schmidt's Social Democratic Party (SPD), said all of Germany had come to a halt following the politician's death.
"We mourn a German democrat, a European trailblazer and a global spirit," Steinmeier said.
Europe's leaders react
It's not only in Germany that Schmidt's death has been felt, however.
French President Francois Hollande was among the first world leaders to pay tribute to the former West German chancellor, calling him "a great European" and saying he had laid the groundwork for German and French leaders who followed in his footsteps.
Meanwhile, other world leaders, including French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, took to Twitter to honor Schmidt. Valls called him the embodiment of "the social-democratic fervor, the Franco-German friendship, the love of Europe," and issued an appeal to his followers: "Let us be faithful to his memory."

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker also expressed his condolences, saying that "with the death of Helmut Schmidt, we've lost a special person, whose political courage moved many."

The news prompted a response from German leaders across the Atlantic as well, including Peter Wittig, Germany's ambassador to the US.

Russia's Vladimir Putin paid his respects as well, describing the former leader as an "outstanding figure of post-war Germany" in a telegram to Merkel and Gauck, the German news agency DPA reported.
Schmidt led West Germany from 1974 to 1982. He was well-known for his plain-spoken style, his tough stance on domestic terrorism and his commitment to the transatlantic security relationship.

blc/kms (dpa, AFP, AP, Reuters)