Hitler himself declared it superior to the written word, which required "arduous reading" to understand.[2] The importance of film propaganda is underscored by the fact that 45 million people attended the film shows put on by the NSDAP.[3] Reichsamtsleiter Neumann declared that the goal of the Department of Film was not directly political in nature, but was rather to influence the culture, education, and entertainment of the general population.[3]