In the first half of the last century, political events took place on a planetary scale. The names of the participants in these events remained in the names of streets and cities. Wilhelm Pieck devoted his entire adult life to the struggle for the liberation of the working class.
Origin and hardening
Thoughtful researchers of political processes often associate events with the name of a certain person. Such a technique does not fully reveal the essence of a bygone era, but provides a fulcrum for comprehension for people of a new generation. Modern schoolchildren and students have little idea of who Wilhelm Peak is. Although representatives of the older generation are familiar with the name of this tireless fighter for social justice. For many, this person served as a model of determination, courage and perseverance.
The future active member of the Socialist Unified Party of Germany (SED) was born on January 3, 1876 in the family of a groom. Parents lived in the city of Guben. During this chronological period, the united German state developed intensively. The country needed skilled workers and engineers. When Wilhelm was seven years old, he was enrolled in the People's School, where the children of workers and peasants received free education. As part of a vocational guidance program, Pieck earned his qualification as an apprentice carpenter. After leaving school, the young man was lucky, he found a job in his specialty in the famous city of Bremen.
A trade union of workers of woodworking enterprises was already operating here. According to some historians, Wilhelm could have become a famous scientist, but he did not study at the university. His powerful intellect and energy, by the will of circumstances, turned out to be directed in a direction far from science. Actively working in the trade union, Pieck joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany. In 1905 he was elected chairman of the district party organization. In the next phase of his political career, Wilhelm became a member of the Bremen City Parliament. In the same years, he became closely acquainted with prominent party leaders Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
It is important to note that before the First World War, there were heated discussions among the German Social Democrats about the forms of struggle against the exploiting class. Radically-minded elements insisted on active actions, with the use of weapons. Wilhelm Pick and his supporters took a different point of view. They offered a peaceful way to achieve their goals. It is necessary to make wider use of strikes and strikes. Purposefully pass relevant laws through parliaments. Open confrontation was allowed only when a revolutionary situation arose.
Political activity
When World War I broke out, Wilhelm Pieck was one of the few who opposed the outbreak of hostilities. In his opinion, the main enemy was inside the country. He meant the German bourgeoisie. On this issue, the supporters of Pick and the Russian Bolsheviks retained a unified approach - they demanded that the imperialist war be turned into a civil war. For such views and speeches, according to the laws of wartime, he could easily have been shot. In 1915, when Pieck was called up for military service, he continued his anti-war agitation among the soldiers.
He could not avoid arrest. However, Wilhelm escaped and lived illegally for two years. In November 1918, riots broke out in the streets of large cities in Germany. A few weeks later there was an uprising of workers and soldiers in Berlin. However, the rebels failed to hold on to power. Pik had to go illegal again and go into hiding until 1921. During this period, he was involved in the creation of the German Communist Party. He came to Soviet Russia, where he met Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.
Work in the Comintern
After the conclusion of the Weimar Peace, Germany went over to a peaceful life. However, in the political arena, the struggle for parliamentary seats in the Reichstag intensified. The ruined economy and crazy inflation caused discontent among the general population. Representatives of all political forces took advantage of this situation. Wilhelm Pieck, skillfully using his experience as an agitator, passed the electoral filter and became a deputy of the Prussian Landag. As a deputy, he defended the interests of the working class with all available opportunities.
In 1928, Pieck was elected to the Reichstag. However, five years later, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, he had to leave the country. From that moment on, Wilhelm devoted all his strength to work in the executive bodies of the Comintern. During the war, for the most part, he was on the territory of the Soviet Union. There was enough work. I had to prepare campaign materials for the soldiers of the German army. Work with prisoners of war. Develop plans for the development of the country in the post-war stage.
Presidential office
Wilhelm Peak returned to his homeland in 1945 and immediately got down to real business. Formulated plans for the restoration of destroyed enterprises. I selected personnel. Conducted negotiations with representatives of friendly states. In 1949 he was elected President of the German Democratic Republic.
Little is known about Wilhelm Pick's personal life. He was married in the Catholic Church in the spring of 1898. The husband and wife raised three children, the eldest daughter and two sons. The wife died of a serious illness in 1936. The leader of the international labor movement died in September 1960 in Berlin.
