Kurt Gerber is attending his final class and gets into trouble with the math professor, a frustrated self-assured petty bourgeois sadist. The duel ends in catastrophe.
An old donkey resolves to break away from the unbearable hardships of working for a fat miller. By and by, he recruits three more unsatisfied animals and convinces them to accompany him on his way to Bremen where they want to become musicians.
As Germany's fortunes in the latter part of World War II wane, several young boys, in their enthusiasm to do something "for the fatherland", volunteer to fight with the German army in the East. Horrified at the news that their children left for the Russian front, the boys' mothers begin a desperate effort to get their sons back.
The children Sonja and Helmut Schmitt have lost their parents in a car accident. At first, their grandmother takes over the supervision and care of the two. When she no longer can take care of that due to her health, mayor and brewery operator Gassner provides them a new home. By doing this, he secures respect and approval in the village. What really happened isn’t suspected by anyone: The egocentric Gassner let his underage daughter drive his deregistered, medium-green old Mercedes. During that ride without a license, she caused the accident and forced her father to do an outwardly “good deed”. Because, if the truth came to light, Gassner would have to fear a defeat in the upcoming mayoral elections and damage to his reputation.
A young woman wants to know who is responsible for the death of her parents. Ten years ago, little Sonja and her brother Niki Schmitt lost their parents in a car accident. Mayor Gassner provided accommodation for the two at that time. Sonja now returns to her hometown to solve the death of her parents. She blames Mayor Gassner until she learns the whole truth.
