Ernst Thälmann – Son of the Working Class

The story

This film is the first of a two-part historical and biographical portrait of the communist politician and anti-fascist Ernst Thälmann. In early November 1918, Ernst Thälmann 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, Thälmann calls on his fellow soldiers to put down their weapons and unite with the workers in the communist struggle at home. Thälmann’s 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, Thälmann continues to follow his political convictions and joins the workers at the Hamburg uprising in October 1923.

In the same saga

Ernst Thälmann Collection

In release order

This film

Ernst Thälmann – Son of the Working Class

1954

Ernst Thälmann – Leader of the Working Class

1955

Cast

G Günther SimonErnst Thälmann H Hans-Peter MinettiFiete Jansen E Erich FranzArthur Vierbreiter E Erika DunkelmannMartha Vierbreiter J Johannes ArpeHöhn R Raimund SchelcherKrischan Daik K Karla RunkehlÄnne Harms G Gerhard BienertOtto Kramer R Robert TröschKuddel Riemöller W Wolf KaiserMajor Zinker W Werner PetersHauptmann Quadde M Martin FlörchingerKarl Liebknecht

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S Steffie SpiraClara Zetkin H Hans FlösselScheidemann W Walter E. FußKarl Borns R Rudolf KlixWillbrandt H Hans KleringAsmussen G Gerhard LauHein Heber S Sergei KalininSowjetischer Kapitän W Werner PledathHauck K Karl KendziaAdolf Wahlkeit C Carla HoffmannRosa Thälmann J Judith HarmsRosa Luxemburg P Peter SchornLenin K Karl WeberFriedrich Ebert O Oswald FoerdererMartin Bünse L Lotte LoebingerEmma Kramer W Wilfried OrtmannHannes Harms H Hans-Edgar StecherPeter Brinkmann G Gerd JägerJosef Wissarionowitsch Stalin K Karl Eugen LehnkeringGustav Stresemann J Joe Münch-HarrisGustav Noske A Arthur PieckWilhelm Pieck H Hermann DieckhoffDr. Matthies E Erich BrauerFreese W Wilhelm GröhlBrandler O Otto Ernst TickardtMahlmann W Willi SchwabeBerber H Harry PreußTarnow N Nico TuroffBrandler U Ursula RöschmannFrau Harms K Kurt DunkelmannTrenow G Günther PolensenBauer S Sonja HaackerFreese W Wilhelm Otto EckhardtPuttkamp F Frithjof RüdeGeneral Vogt A Adolf Peter HoffmannAlland E Erich MirekKarl A Alfred BohlWalter K Karl BrenkHinnerk O Oskar NeugebauerEddi P Paul FunkPaul L Leonid RitterSowjetischer Matrose A Alexej PlesnizowVertreter der Petrograder Gewerkschaften C Charlotte KüterFrau mit Revolver J Jean BrahnPolizist W Walter LendrichHäftling W Willi NarlochZK-Vertreter H Harry StudtOberst im Geheimdienst A Axel TriebelGeneral H Harro ten BrookGeneral H Hans FiebrandtFrontsoldat W Wilhelm Hinrich HoltzGeschäftsführer im Kaiserhof W Wolf von BeneckendorffRussischer Emmigrant L Ludwig SachsSpitzel D Dorothea ThiesingGemüsefrau F Friedrich GnaßHauswirt R Rudolf FleckGefängniswärter K Kurt SperlingGewehrzähler E Eberhard KratzReichswehroffizier H Hans RoseErster Arbeiter C Carl LangeZweiter Arbeiter H Hermann StetzaDritter Arbeiter