Early 1921: a man is on his way home. Gleb Chumalov, regimental commander, worker and Hero of the Order of the Red Banner, returns to his home town from the Civil War. The victory over the enemies of the Russian people gives him the conviction that a new, better time will dawn overnight. Gleb looks for his comrades from earlier years, but only finds people who are emaciated by their efforts. The cement works where he used to work has been plundered and abandoned. With great effort, Gleb and his comrades try to get the plant up and running again. The struggle seems to begin anew... It is the time after the victory of the “Great October Socialist Revolution“ and the time of building a new society.

In 1928 Berlin, 19-year-old stenotypist Erna Halbe lands a prized typing job at Orga Privat. Thrust into the soul-killing monotony of a sprawling corporate office, she rallies her fellow typists to challenge unjust working conditions. Amid economic tremors foreshadowing the 1929 crash, Erna fights for workplace justice, and discovers first love in the city’s heady mix of hope and hardship.

A famous journalist wants to adopt a 13 years old orphan boy but their relationship are not perfect.

Hannes, 22, and his girlfriend Tanja have to realize that there are things in their relationship that have an unfavourable effect on their togetherness; now they try to find out why their love should not last. Tilli, Hannes' 16-year-old sister, and her boyfriend Robert, on the other hand, just look sadly at the rest of their remaining pocket money and wish they could get rid of their money worries. But for Tilli's family with their seven children, who live in a district town in the GDR, it's not that easy. However, the extended family's life is not disrupted by problems, rather it is strengthened and the family's cohesion is intact.

To be looked after so lovingly - what man wouldn't want that? Bernd Vogel pins all his hopes on Renate, the attractive dancer, although he can't really complain about the care of his faithful girlfriend Berta. The friendly man with the big heart gets into a few arguments, not least because he pursues his adolescent daughter with fatherly jealousy. Nevertheless, he eventually finds the happiness he deserves.

Helene Sonntag, 40, unmarried and a teacher. She has long dreamed of happy partnership, but things turn out as they should. In order to avoid the work overload caused by substitute teaching and vacation childcare, she is forced to make a move.

In spring 1946, Warsaw historian Wojtek arrives in a Polish provincial town to study the Renaissance. He soon becomes entangled in the fierce postwar power struggle between the Soviet-backed People’s Government—nationalizing industry and land—and reactionary exiled forces waging “bandit terror,” from train robberies to political assassinations. As violence escalates, Wojtek shifts from observer to active defender of the new “people’s power.”

804, Thuringia. An orphan boy, called Bengel, lives in a monastery and is teased by the nuns because of his ugliness. He nurses a black rider, who is shunned by everyone and is said to have the plague, back to health. The rider tells him about the missing Bogumil, son of the Slavic king Slavomir, who was to marry Reglindis, the daughter of the Margrave of Thuringia, by order of Charlemagne. And he asks Bengel about his origins. Bengel now believes he is Bogumil. He goes to the castle and meets a beautiful girl who also thinks he is beautiful. It is Reglindis, she is blind. The girl senses the boy's inner beauty and is very fond of him. Her father, however, wants to kill him. Bengel narrowly escapes death twice, the Black Rider impressively proves his identity with Bogumil and finally there is a happy ending.