Wilhelm Pieck

Wilhelm Pieck was a prominent German politician and a key figure in the communist movement. Born in 1876, he became a leader of the Socialist Unity Party (SED) in East Germany after World War II. In 1949, he was elected the first President of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), serving until his death in 1960. Pieck advocated for socialist policies and alignment with the Soviet Union, playing a significant role in shaping East Germany's political landscape during the Cold War era. His leadership was characterized by efforts to establish a communist state in a divided Germany.