Lugtal, a town nestled between hills, where the citizens feel at home in their half-timbered houses. A dominant figure: Count Brosch, brewery owner and entrepreneur. He is planning a large-scale housing project in the nearby city forest. Some politicians and many committed citizens are opposed to this, striving instead for the renovation of the old town. Against this backdrop, the story of two contrasting brothers unfolds—the conformist Fridolin and the rebellious Max Fantl.

This film is the second of a two-part historical and biographical portrait of the communist politician and anti-fascist Ernst Thälmann. Autumn, 1918: Somewhere on Germany’s western front, Ernst Thälmann, age twenty-four, is calling on his fellow soldiers to put down their guns and join him in the communist struggle at home. When Hamburg’s Police Commissioner blocks a much-needed food shipment to the workers of Petrograd, Ernst battles to see it allowed through. Until his murder on August 18, 1944, Ernst remained true to his political convictions in the face of many setbacks.

A notorious gang of robbers threaten the Ruhr region of Germany in the 1920s.

1802: The adventurous life story of Hans Bückler, known as “Schinderhannes”, who fights against the French occupying forces and large landowners who exploit poor farmers in the Hunsrück region during the Napoleonic Wars.

Several men have been murdered lately, mostly rich lovers on their way to meet their mistresses with gifts of fine jewelry. To fight this scourge, King Louis XIV decides to create a special court named "La chambre ardente", designed to find and punish the perpetrators of such heinous crimes. An unexpected person, Mademoiselle de Scudéry, the famous poetess, will find herself entangled in the web of a criminal intrigue linked with the jewel murders, along with a a goldsmith, his daughter and her fiancé...

In 1523, young Thomas Müntzer arrives with his wife Ottilie in the Thuringian village Allstedt to assume the rectorate. As a follower of Luther′s teachings, he finds in the Bible not only reasons for clerical, but also for secular reforms. But when Luther turns away from the rural population after a discord with Müntzer, it is Müntzer who becomes the peoples′ spokesman. He is forced to go to Southern Germany, where he convenes with revolting farmers. But his way leads him back to Thuringia. In 1525, he and Heinrich Pfeiffer form the centre of the Thuringian peasant uprising in Mühlhausen, but their success is diminished by the fact that peasants and craftsmen don′t seem to be able to work together. In Frankenhausen, Müntzer becomes the leader of a peasants′ army that is set to fighting the ruler′s army – and sustains a devastating loss. Müntzer is arrested and sentenced to death by decapitation for his insurgency.

Krestan Serbin, a 64-year-old Sorbian farm-worker, considers himself non-political. He owns a few acres, a few pigs and a cow, and intends to pass all this on to his daughter Lena. Lena, however, shows only little interest. Krestan’s situation becomes more difficult when he is meant to become integrated into the agricultural production cooperative. He even gets offered a position as Training Supervisor. Although Krestan does not oppose the new policy, he is unwilling to surrender his properties. When the political die-hards who intend to hinder the progressive movement try to win him over, Krestan realizes that it is time to show colours.

Railway employee Fritz Marr is not regarded well by his superiors. It is the year 1920, and trains regularly pass the railway hub of Erfurt to the East to secretly transport weapons for the fight against the young Soviet Union. Marr knows about this and wants to mobilise other workers to stop these illegal deliveries. To muzzle him, Marr is relocated to a remote rail work construction site.

In a casino in a We'5t German health resort, one often sees Sybille - an attractive young student actress. With her winnings from the roulette table, she attempts to finance her studies. Despite a rather lucky streak, her winnings are a little on the lean side. She doesn't, however, gamble with her own money but with that of Dr. Busch, a lawyer, who likes to stay in the background with the argument that gambling houses are not the proper turf for a serious lawyer. From him, Sybille receives only a small share of her winnings later, and only through the intervention of Gerhard Fischer, a journalist, does Sybille come to realize her role in Dr. Busch's fraudulent scheme.

Dr. Wagner is a scientist currently working on an experiment for the Asta plant in East Berlin. If the experiment is successful its a brilliant new invention. But Wagner is the target of sabotage, and all the decisive experiment fails. Wagner can not explain this setback.

On the Faroe Islands, people eke out a meagre existence by catching birds. Merchant Brause pays them little and does a good business. This comes under threat when Dr. Sten Horn suspects that the dangerous annual plague, which kills dozens of inhabitants, is transmitted by birds. Brause forces the people to work anyway and conceals the telegram from the Copenhagen research institute that confirms Horn's suspicions. Horn, supported by his cousin Arne, enlightens the islanders and the greedy Brause can only flee.

In the Werra valley near the border is one of the five soda factories of the GDR that once belonged to the powerful Solvay group. After the war, they moved the headquarters from Berneburg to Frankfurt, but some people loyal to the groups bosses remained to sabotage the production in the now nationally owned factory.

Early 18th-century Krakow: The poor student Simon works as a travelling musician in order to finance his studies, and the Polish freedom fighter Jan is on the run from Saxon troops. They meet in the carriage of Count Kovalska, where they fall in love with the Count’s daughters Laura and Bronislava.

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Germany in 1949: The residents of the Thuringian village Hunsdorf are still heavily influenced by archaic superstition and explain unusual events with preternatural powers. The same happens when pigs again and again disappear from different farmyards. The village residents firmly believe that witches are the reason for this mystery. Not even police detective Kühlemann who is sent to Hunsdorf is able to dissuade them from their superstition. Thus, the farmers think his investigation is aimless and they do not support him at all. With a lot of patience and well-made arguments he finally convinces little Peter that there are no witches. Next, Peter’s grandfather and teacher Marianne take Kühlemann’s side. With their support, the police detective eventually finds out the truth and is able to put a stop to the gang of crooks that had been stealing the pigs.

In 1955, Michael Vierkant, a Jew who had emigrated during the Nazi era, returns from abroad to the Federal Republic of Germany to obtain the conviction of Korn, the former informer responsible for the murder of his sister. Korn is back in office; Michael's efforts remain unsuccessful. There is a direct confrontation between the two, and Michael shoots Korn in self-defense. He flees and is hidden by the young, reclusive artist Marie Jäger, but is then caught by the police and charged with premeditated murder. The case is taken out of the hands of the criminal investigation department by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which constructs an act of political revenge on behalf of the communists. Michael manages to escape from prison. Marie and her friends organize a press conference at which Michael reveals the connections. The trial is postponed.

Young, pretty Milli is passionate about winter sports, and of all things, she wins a vacation trip to the Baltic Sea at her company - in summer, of course. After her first dip in the sea and meeting a nice young man, her initial displeasure fades. But not for long, because Robby turns out to be a filou, shuns regular work and is also a womanizer. After some confusion, Milli's vacation ends well after all. She goes home with Robby, who wants to take a job as a car mechanic in her home town of Suhl.

The story of a resistance fighter in the Nazi era: Communist Hans Löning was arrested in 1933, imprisoned in a concentration camp and tortured. The Gestapo plans to smash the resistance group around Löning. Despite the imminent threat to his life, Löning, together with his wife, organized the passive resistance of the Hamburg workers against the Hitler regime. In 1944, Löning was again taken and killed.

A farmer who has fled the republic returns disappointed from the West to the village of Oslitz (GDR). He and his wife are supposed to get their house and farm back, but the case becomes the occasion for an unusual LPG meeting. The chairman, a comrade from the town and the farmers want to find out what caused the returnee to flee and whether it could have been avoided. The farmer claims that the chairman wanted to force him into the LPG because of illegal fertilizer purchases. He interprets his behavior differently. In order to clarify the matter and learn lessons from it, those present re-enact the events before the escape with reversed roles.

On a windswept country road outside Berlin, commuters have waited 25 weeks under a sign promising a new bus shelter. VEB engineer Schulz vows to escalate their plight, but bureaucrat Engerling stalls for more “expert opinions.” When residents seize matters into their own hands and build the shelter themselves, Dr. Wirth finally grants the permit, only for Engerling to claim credit at the official unveiling.