An aged tailor recalls his life as the schoolteacher of a small village in Northern Germany that was struck by a series of strange events in the year leading up to WWI.

Lawyer Sarah Stein has her life firmly under control and a clear goal for her career: to become a partner in the renowned Frankfurt law firm she works for. However, the latest case her boss entrusts her with seems more like a beginner's job: the elderly foster father of winegrower Peter Jahn has died. As there appears to be no will, his biological son Siggi, as sole heir, claims all rights to the family vineyard. And as Peter has not responded to a letter from a lawyer, Sarah is now supposed to hand him the notice of termination in person.