The film explores intimate, often quiet stories, focusing on the interactions and relationships of its characters in a typical Sunday afternoon style.

Landowner Klapproth would love to have his nephew Alfred show him the inside of an insane asylum and meet real lunatics, promising to financially support him in starting a business. Alfred's friend Ernst Kissling recommends that he show his uncle the Schöller Guesthouse, whose guests are quite eccentric. Landowner Klapproth, who truly believes the guests to be lunatics, is thoroughly amused.

The vagrant Fliederbusch and his wife Berta are imprisoned in a small town's courthouse. They attempt to escape and find themselves in the courtroom. Fiederbusch dons the official robes of an assessor, receives a report from Prince Adolar, who appears with a suburban woman, about a stolen piece of jewelry, and locks the nobleman up...

The captain Paul Heider enjoys the reputation of a Danube Casanova.

An unknown disease has annihilated the human race. Sand - just a tiny heap of white sand is all that is left of a human being. When Ruth and Sylvester meet, they are the only survivors. They are immune against the deadly disease; on the brink of madness, they find themselves incapable of shifting the burden of responsibility for mankind, which fate has placed upon them. Could they do anything but start from scratch?

The social worker Luise Gottschalk dedicates all her passion to the Viennese caretakers and derailed young people. Tirelessly, she advertises to adults for understanding the needs of adolescents. She is particularly committed to a girl named Elfie Breitner who is at risk of drifting into prostitution.