The Walkowiaks' marriage suffers due to the couple's differing perspectives on work. August (Erich Franz) looks forward to resting after retirement, while Frieda (Gisela May) invests much of her time and energy into her position as the head of an agricultural collective.
Peter Weselin (Horst Drinda), a musician and composer from Düsseldorf, plans to spend a quiet vacation with his uncle in the small town of Klingenthal, but the town, known for manufacturing instruments, is about to hold its annual music festival.
Working-class athlete Richard Bertram (Günther Simon) is a talented wrestler whose political beliefs get him into trouble. When his club is dissolved by the Nazis, Richard continues to wrestle in a middle-class club, using his position to support the resistance movement.
This documentary features German army officer and NATO General Hans Speidel and his role before and during World War II.