Kuhle Wampe takes place in early-1930s Berlin. The film begins with a montage of newspaper headlines describing steadily-rising unemployment figures. This is followed by scenes of a young man looking for work in the city and the family discussing the unpaid back rent. The young man, brother of the protagonist Anni, removes his wristwatch and throws himself from a window out of despair. Shortly thereafter his family is evicted from their apartment. Now homeless, the family moves into a garden colony of sorts with the name “Kuhle Wampe.”
Several people apply for an election.
Nazi propaganda film based on the life and death of Hitler Youth Herbert "Quex" Norkus – in the film, renamed Heini Völker – who was killed while distributing flyers in a Communist neighborhood.
