Ernst ThĂ€lmann â Son of the Working Class
Ernst ThÀlmann - Sohn seiner Klasse
The story
This film is the first of a two-part historical and biographical portrait of the communist politician and anti-fascist Ernst ThĂ€lmann. In early November 1918, Ernst ThĂ€lmann is an unwilling soldier serving on the western front. As the revolutionary movement at home is threatened by the betrayal of the Social Democrats and fissures in the working class, ThĂ€lmann calls on his fellow soldiers to put down their weapons and unite with the workers in the communist struggle at home. ThĂ€lmannâs qualms about which side he is fighting on continue, but when the local police attempt to prevent a shipment of provisions and supplies from reaching the people in Petrograd, he intervenes and the ship is unloaded. With this moment of clarity, ThĂ€lmann continues to follow his political convictions and joins the workers at the Hamburg uprising in October 1923.
