The adventures of Kit Bellew and his friend Shorty during the gold fever at the end of the 19th century.

A young doctor has to spend a night in a lonely house near the transit highway. Unexpectedly, he witnesses East-West smuggling operations, which he manages to prevent at the last moment.

It was supposed to be a cozy Christmas evening with the family. Labor Director Walter Lörke was particularly looking forward to it. But then his daughter Anne surprised him with her future son-in-law Thomas Ostermann. And that's not all: Lörke is to become a grandfather. This doesn't suit him at all, especially as the young man clearly shows his critical attitude towards the state whose ideals Lörke has fought for all his life. An argument ensues - on Christmas Eve. Lörke leaves the apartment in a rage. But he is driven by unrest: He wants to know what kind of person his future son-in-law is and why he has such a negative attitude towards the state. It turns out that Thomas has had bitter experiences with the opportunistic attitudes of many adults and that, although he was the best student in his class, he was not admitted to university because of his critical opinions.

The clever but poor farmer Klaus infuriates the rich big Klaus with his mischief. But little Klaus always manages to get out of the most difficult situations and emerge victorious in the end. But one day, big Klaus has a fit and wants to drown little Klaus. Now he once again has to rely on his intuition and his wit ...

Maria is a record saleswoman by profession. She is lucky to have a job, because the year is 1930 and a major economic crisis has hit the world, accompanied by an army of unemployed people, especially in Germany. Maria is aware of her good fortune; in order to secure it, she has to do without many things. What business owner would employ an unmarried woman with a child in times like these? When Maria became pregnant, she, like many other women, had to become "active" and do something about this "misfortune". So she seeks "help" from a female doctor, trusting in her youth and hoping for better times when family happiness could come true for her.

Egon Brümmer and his half-strong "boys" are an integral part of the Borkenheide Musical Club. When the manager of the clubhouse forbids them to rehearse in his rooms, Egon and his friend Paul react by hitting on the visitors to a nearby Christmas party. Both are sentenced to six months in prison without parole for assault. When Egon gets out of prison, he wants to leave his old life behind him. He tries to avoid the boys, but they don't understand his change of heart. He starts working as an unskilled laborer on a building site, just as he did before he went to prison. At a graduation ball, Egon meets Christine Lange, who wants to study medicine. Her friends call her the "eighth wonder of the world" because it would be a miracle if she were to fall in love. Egon pretends to be a construction specialist and the two dance together.

Once upon a time, there was a poor farmer who had thirteen children. Since the farmer was so poor, there was never anything left for the youngest of the family. Therefore, the farmer chose Death as the godfather of his son, Jörg, because all people are equal in the eyes of Death. The Grim Reaper is happy to look after the boy and turns Jörg into a skilled doctor who earns wealth and fame.

Hitler's seizure of power in 1933 and his rule in the years that followed are transferred to the North American criminal world of the 1930s in a parable. Gangster boss Ui needs the protection of the ruling class to achieve his goals and offers his help to their representatives. They initially hesitate, but join forces after Ui violently gains their respect. His victory is perfect and the people fall silent before the revolvers of their "protectors". Ui takes the raised hands as a sign of approval... Bertolt Brecht wrote the play in 1941 in a Finnish asylum - the premiere only took place in Stuttgart after his death in November 1958. It has been staged at the Berliner Ensemble since 1959 - Ekkehard Schall has played Ui over 500 times since then. On January 13, 1974, the play was shown for the last time, recorded in color by GDR television.

Peterle throws snow from the sidewalk into the open window of his sisters' room and is made to come inside immediately by his mother. Meanwhile, his father buys a goose at the Christmas market and brings it home to the delight of the children, who pet and love it. Peterle does not rest until "Guste", as he calls her, is allowed to sleep in his room, as he thinks she is freezing in the cellar. The children and their parents have become so accustomed to the animal that their father cannot bring himself to slaughter "Guste". His attempt to sedate her with sleeping pills beforehand does not have the desired effect either. The plucked goose wakes up in the fridge. Her mother gives her a knitted suit for Christmas. Peterle now proudly takes his "Guste" for a walk, to the amazement of passers-by.

Victory and demise of the first proletarian dictatorship in the history of mankind, about the struggling, bleeding workers of Paris who enthusiastically defend their historical initiative. The little Cabet family from Rue Pigalle and their friends let the spectator participate in the action.