Wilhelm Pieck

Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhold Pieck was a German communist politician. He was born on January 3, 1876, and passed away on September 7, 1960. Pieck became well known for his leadership roles in various political parties and governments.

Pieck joined the SPD, a political group, in the 1890s but left in 1917 because he disagreed with their support of the First World War. He helped start the Spartacus League and later the KPD, another political group. When the Nazis imprisoned some leaders, Pieck took on more responsibility.

After the Second World War ended, Pieck was important in combining two parties, the KPD and SPD, into the Socialist Unity Party of Germany in 1946. This party led East Germany, also called the German Democratic Republic, starting in 1949. Pieck served as the first and only president of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until he passed away in 1960. His work shaped the early years of East Germany.

Early life

Wilhelm Pieck was born in 1876 in Guben, in the German Empire. After his mother passed away, his father remarried. Pieck trained as a carpenter and joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in 1895. He worked hard within the party and became involved in politics.

During World War I, Pieck opposed the war and was arrested for his views. He later joined the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) after returning to Berlin in 1918.

Weimar era

Wilhelm Pieck was arrested in Berlin in January 1919 along with Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht, but he managed to escape while the others were killed. Later, he worked with communist groups and was involved in political activities during a difficult time in Germany.

Pieck held several important government positions. He served in the Landtag of Prussia, the Reichstag, the Berlin City Council, and the Prussian State Council during the years of the Weimar Republic.

Nazi years and Moscow exile

Wilhelm Pieck and his family moved to Moscow in 1933 to escape the rise of the Nazis in Germany. There, he worked for the Communist Party and held an important job as Secretary of the Communist International from 1935 to 1943. In 1943, he helped start the National Committee for a Free Germany, a group supported by the Soviets to oppose Nazi Germany.

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Pieck’s family was at their country house near Moscow. They returned home in 1942 after Soviet forces successfully defended the city during the Battle of Moscow.

Soviet occupation zone

After World War II ended in 1945, Wilhelm Pieck went back to Germany with the Red Army. In 1946, he played a key role in combining the eastern parts of the KPD and SPD to form the Socialist Unity Party (SED). He became one of the party's co-leaders, working together with former SPD leader Otto Grotewohl. Their handshake became a famous symbol for the new party.

President of East Germany

In October 1949, the German Democratic Republic, or East Germany, was formally established in the Soviet occupation zone. Wilhelm Pieck was elected as the country's first president. He served in this role until his death in 1960, making him East Germany's only president.

Initially, another leader named Grotewohl was considered the top official as prime minister, while Pieck was second in the government. In 1950, the political party changed its structure, and Walter Ulbricht took a leading role, but Pieck kept his position as president because he had the trust of Joseph Stalin.

Last years

Wilhelm Pieck was 73 years old when he became president. Though he held important positions, he did not play a major role in the party after 1950.

In 1953, Pieck suffered a stroke and had health problems. By 1956, he could not fully carry out his duties as Head of State. He spent his last months at his country house and died in East Berlin in 1960. He was honoured with a state funeral and buried in Berlin.

Personal life

Wilhelm Pieck was married to Christine Häfker, who worked making clothes. They met in Bremen and married in 1898. They had three children: Elly Winter, who worked in government; Arthur Pieck, who led the East German airline Interflug; and Eleonore Staimer, who worked for the party and as a diplomat. Sadly, Christine passed away in 1936 after getting very sick.

Honours and awards

Wilhelm Pieck received several important awards during his lifetime. In his home country, he was named a Hero of Labour in 1951, received the Order of Karl Marx in 1953, and was awarded the Patriotic Order of Merit in Gold in 1954. Just before he passed away in 1960, he was given the Banner of Labour.

He was also honoured by other countries. For example, in 1956, he received the Grand Cross of the Order of the White Lion from Czechoslovakia.

Photo gallery

Here are some important moments featuring Wilhelm Pieck:

• In June 1926, Pieck dedicated a memorial for the victims of the German November Revolution of 1918.
• In November 1933, Pieck stood with Joseph Stalin at the urn of Sen Katayama.
• In 1949, Pieck is seen with Otto Grotewohl.
• A 1951 East German stamp shows Pieck and President Bolesław Bierut of Poland, marking the Treaty of Zgorzelec and the Oder-Neisse line.
• The house where Wilhelm Pieck lived in Berlin is also shown.