Bummelstudenten (1916)

Kurt Matsch and Hermann Pfannenschmied are inseparable friends and textbook examples of carefree students. They love life and are in no hurry to finish their studies. One day, their way of life is put to a severe test when Hermann’s uncle dies. He was extremely wealthy and leaves his nephew 1.2 million marks—but with one condition: Hermann, the eternal student, must prove that he can earn 5,000 marks through his own hard work. A true friend, Kurt helps Hermann as best he can. From then on, the two throw themselves into work, taking jobs one after another as a restaurateur, music teacher, waiter, and at the racetrack. None of it earns them the 5,000 marks they need. It was all in vain, and from then on Kurt and Hermann each go their separate way. Years pass, and when Matsch and Pfannenschmied meet again, they have, after all, made something of themselves. Kurt has risen to become the director of a brewery, while Hermann, who comes to visit him, has reached the same position at the head of an automobile factory. At last, the will can be read and the money distributed … when it turns out, surprisingly, that Hermann’s fiancée Agnes is the true heir.