Rival gangs are fighting for control of Hamburg's notorious harbor district, spreading fear and terror in the process. In the streets, houses and clubs, the thriller shows the lives of a handful of people whose fates will be decided within 24 hours.

The nightclub "Zum Klabautermann" in St. Pauli is a cheerful place where people like to meet. Every evening, when the two bargemen wrap the guests in sailor's yarn as supposed sailors on a long voyage and Lotti, known as "Das laufende Glück", knits the clientele, things get very lively. Can landlady Hermine prevent a competitor from poaching her "artistic" staff...?