It was built in 1951 at Warnowwerft, Warnemünde/Rostock with a steel hull,[1] launched May 26, 1951 and commissioned August 2, 1951.[2] It was the first steel vessel built after World War II at the port, and was christened Wilhelm Pieck after the first president of the German Democratic Republic.[3] In 1990 it participated in the first German sail event.[4] The ship was later given to the town of Greifswald and overhauled in Rostock, and re-christened Greif.[5]
The ship is used as a training ship for maritime youth education. It has participated in the Hanse Sail, including Hanse Sail Rostock 2011.[6]