Otto Grotewohl ( ; 11 March 1894 -- 23 September 1964 ) was a German politician and the first prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until his death in 1964 .
Otto Grotewohl ( German pronunciation : [ ˈɔtoː ˈɡʁoːtəvoːl ] ; 11 March 1894 -- 23 September 1964 ) was a German politician . He was the first prime minister of the German Democratic Republic from 1949 until his death in 1964 .