Comedy about the "Husarenstreich", the 1757 Berlin raid during the Seven Years' War.

Mauritius Halbermann, nicknamed "Mauts", works as an advertising manager for Gravo-Druck, a state-owned print company. Mauts, a man obsessed with his work, incessantly percolates with marvelous ideas - and now that he has once again come up with another brilliant idea, he naturally wants to present his proposal to his boss. As it happens, his supervisor along with his entire family and some of Mauts's colleagues - including Lore who Mauts secretly fancies - have gone on a holiday trip.

Prague 1913: The family of newspaper publisher Alexander Reither, traditionally reunited for a New Year's dinner, moves along convoluted and secretive paths in everyday life. Granddaughter Wally is impressed by the opaque businessman Marko Gelusich. Her cousin Adrienne meets the young socialist Joseph Prokop at an illegal anarchist meeting. On a business trip to Vienna, Alexander Reither falls in love with Irene v. Claudi. Adrienne wants to move completely into Joseph Prokop's proletarian world, but her mother Kalivoda makes her a painful announcement. Joseph already has a girl. Alexander finds Irene v. Claudi in Budapest. They spend happy days in Vienna. In Prague, the printing workers go on strike. Adrienne fights alongside the workers and Robert Kalivoda. She experiences class struggle with her cousin Guido Frank. Alexander tries to introduce Irene to the family.