Stefan Book is Pastor of the Hamburger St. Pauli Church for Schanze, Karo and Kiez. He sees it as his life's task to devote himself to the fallen and stranded. In view of the flight of the young, deportation-threatened African Adoma Fauré into his church, the chummy clergyman proves to be a serious opponent of asylum policy. The fate of the girl allows him to fight for the girl's residence permit without fear of authorities or sanctions of the municipal board. Book grants her church asylum and reaches the limit of its legal possibilities.

Christmas time at the orphanage at Westerheide Castle. However, director Anna Stolberg does not feel like celebrating. Castle owner Witt has instructed estate agent Merkel to initiate the immediate eviction of the building, which is in need of renovation. Anna tries to find a solution with doctor Flimm. But the dismissal is legal...

Wolfgang Stein spends years in Bautzen prison for attempting to flee the republic. He was ransomed by the West German government in 1971 and ended up in a reception camp in Unna. There he falls in love with a nurse, Anne, with whom he soon moves in together, who becomes pregnant by him and whom he soon marries. One day, an old friend, Dieter Michaelis, a fellow prisoner from Bautzen, comes to the reception center and asks Stein to work as an escape helper for his brother-in-law living in the GDR.

Rosa can only dream of romantic togetherness with her husband Mark. Temporarily homeless, her mother Ruth has taken up residence in the middle of the living room. Things get tricky for Rosa when the landlord also sues for personal use. She loses in court, but Rosa wins a new job: the shy judge needs professional help with a marriage proposal. Of course, Rosa and Meral manage to arrange a suitable setting to convince Anja, the woman they love. But this is only the beginning of the real problems, because Anja's past hides a dark secret.