Wilhelm Pieck
| Wilhelm Pieck | |
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State President of the German Democratic Republic
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| In office 11 October 1949 – 7 September 1960 |
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| Preceded by | Karl Dönitz (Third Reich) |
| Succeeded by | Walter Ulbricht (as Chairman of the Council of State) |
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| Born | 3 January 1876 Guben, German Empire |
| Died | 7 September 1960 (aged 84) East Berlin, East Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Political party | SPD, KPD, SED |
Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck (German pronunciation: [ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈpiːk]; 3 January 1876 – 7 September 1960) was a German politician and a Communist. In 1949, he became the first President of the German Democratic Republic, an office abolished upon his death. He was succeeded by Walter Ulbricht, who served as Chairman of the Council of States.
Biography
Pieck was born to a coachman in the eastern part of Guben, Germany,[1] which is now Gubin and part of Poland. While he initially went to school to become a carpenter, the combination of world events, determined ideology, and political ambition led Pieck to a life of political activism.
As a carpenter, in 1894 Pieck joined the wood-workers' federation, which steered him towards joining the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) the following year.[1] Pieck became the chairman of the party urban district in 1899, and in 1906 became full-time secretary of the SPD. Although the majority of the SPD supported the German government in World War I, Pieck was a member of the party's left wing, which opposed the war. Pieck's openness in doing so led to his arrest and placement in a military prison. After being released, Pieck briefly lived in exile in Amsterdam.[1] Upon his return to Berlin in 1918, Pieck joined the newly-founded Communist Party of Germany (KPD). In 1922, he became a founding member of the International Red Aid, serving first on the executive committee. In May 1925, he became the chairman of the Rote Hilfe.[1]
Following the Nazi Party's takeover in 1933, Pieck went into exile again, first in France, then in Moscow in 1935.[1] In Moscow, Pieck served the Communist Party in a variety of capacities. From 1938 until 1943, he filled the position of General Secretary of the Communist International. In 1943 Pieck was among the founders of the National Committee for a Free Germany (NKFD). The NKFD planned for the future of Germany after World War II. At the conclusion of the war in 1945 Pieck returned to Germany with the victorious Red Army.
In 1949 Pieck was elected President of the newly-established German Democratic Republic (GDR).[1] Pieck served as the only president of the GDR until his death in 1960. Pieck maintained his posts in politics due to Stalin's trust in him.
Pieck lived in Majakowskiring 29, Pankow, East Berlin. His daughter, Elly Winter (1898–1987), held various posts in the SED and East German government.
Photo gallery
 Pieck in 1926 |
 Pieck (left) and Otto Grotewohl in 1949 |
 1951 East German commemorative stamp of the Treaty of Zgorzelec establishing the Oder-Neisse line as a “border of peace”, with Pieck and President Bolesław Bierut of Poland]] |
References
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Karl Dönitz (as President of the German Reich) |
State President of the German Democratic Republic 1949–1960 |
Succeeded by Walter Ulbricht (as Chairman of the Council of State) |
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