Regina Baer – co-founder of the Berlin techno institution Tresor – has died.

A statement shared by Tresor, and written by fellow co-founder Dimitri Hegemann, said Baer passed away on July 21 following a long battle with an unspecified "serious illness."

Reflecting on Baer's influence on the legendary Berlin venue, Hegemann's statement said: "The history of Tresor, and indeed of Berlin's entire nightlife, would be different without her; without her energy, drive, vision, creativity, discipline and ability to carry others along with her and motivate them. She was an incredibly strong woman who knew exactly what she wanted in a scene that was mostly still very male-dominated at the time – and never let herself be intimidated even by the biggest machos."

Baer managed Tresor, and its Globus space, from its opening in 1991 through to 2005, and, Hegemann's statement said, she later "had a decisive influence on [another Tresor-affiliated space] Kraftwerk – even as her battle with her illness began."

Hegemann added: "To me, her advice was always the most important and when I didn't listen to her, it often turned out to be a mistake. She was incorruptible, unpretentious, straight-forward, and as clear-sighted as one can be.

"Her true spirit was as compelling as it was contagious, as witnessed by countless artists, Tresor-goers, co-workers and friends. She was a great, loving mother who, despite sometimes crazy hours and times working on our shared projects, was always there for her children and never forgot those who were most important to her. Her death tears a painful hole in our lives."