BERLIN — To Germans, the 41st president of the United States, George Bush, was the man who helped ensure the peaceful reunification of their country. To Mikhail Gorbachev, former leader of the Soviet Union, he exemplified great kindness. To many Kuwaitis, he was a hero for the 100-hour ground war that routed Iraqi forces from their country.

On Saturday, as former and current leaders around the globe learned of Mr. Bush’s death at 94 on Friday night, their condolences were steeped in praise for the depth of his abilities as a statesman and his refusal to grandstand — which commentators noted was in sharp contrast to the tone of the current American administration.

“Germany owes a lot to George H.W. Bush,” Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote in a telegram to President Trump. “It was a stroke of luck in German history that he was at the head of the United States of America when the Cold War came to an end and Germany’s reunification became possible.”

Ms. Merkel praised Mr. Bush for recognizing “the significance of this historical hour” and giving Germans “his trust and support.”