Bredel himself. Wollenberg had found one other discrepancy between the biography and Son of his Class: the real Thälmann played no major role in the struggle against Kapp's supporters. Historian Detlef Kannapin noted that, while the film portrays Thälmann as seeking to convince the reluctant Social-Democrats to join forces against the Nazis, he never pursued this policy. As late as October 1932, he referred to the SPD as the chief rivals of the communists, and often called them "Social-Fascists". The Comintern's resolution to form an anti-Nazi bond with the Social-Democrats was only made in 1935, when Ernst Thälmann was already imprisoned. According to Kannapin, the figure of Robert Dirhagen, the minor SPD member, symbolizes the Social-Democrat wing of the SED, which united with KPD under Soviet pressure. Seán Allan and John Sandford wrote that in the film, the blame for Hitler's rise was "laid solely on the Social-Democrats", thus justifying the KPD's Stalinist line and its rivalry with the SPD before 1933. Cultural impact Mandatory screenings of both parts continued to be held in factories and collective farms years after their release. The films became part of the curriculum in the East German education system, and all the pupils watched them in school. Footage from the movies was used to make eight short films, with lengths ranging from 8 to 27 minutes, that were shown to young children. It held a particularly significant status in the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation; in 1979, the movement's manual still listed the film as an important source of information about Thälmann's life. See also Karl Liebknecht Sources Sandra Langenhahn: Ursprünge und Ausformung des Thälmannkults. Die DEFA-Filme „Sohn seiner Klasse“ und „Führer seiner Klasse“. In: (Ed.): Leit- und Feindbilder in DDR-Medien (Schriftenreihe Medienberatung Vol. 5). Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, Bonn 1997, , p. 55–65. Notes References External links . Sohn seiner Klasse and Führer seiner Klasse on DEFA Sternstunden. 1954 films 1955 films 1950s biographical films German biographical films German epic films East German films 1950s German-language films Films about communism Films directed by Kurt Maetzig Anti-fascist propaganda films Films about anti-fascism Films set in the 1910s Films set in the 1920s Films set in the 1930s Films set in the 1940s Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler Cultural depictions of Hermann Göring Cultural depictions of Joseph Goebbels Cultural depictions of Heinrich Himmler Cultural depictions of Karl Liebknecht Cultural depictions of Rosa Luxemburg Cultural depictions of