friedrich wilhelm reinhold pieck (3 january 1876 in eastern guben (today poland) - 7 september 1960 in berlin) was an (east) german communist politician. he was a member of the spartacus league. he was joint founder, and from 1946 to 1950 co-chairman of the socialist unity party of germany (sed, together with otto grotewohl), and from 1949 to his death in 1960 the first and only president of the gdr.