A young shoemaker is arrested for stealing a small amount of money, and is jailed for fifteen years. Upon his release, he wants to get a permit to get a job and start anew, but finds that without a job he can't get a permit, and without a permit he can't get a job. Ensnared in the absurd net of Prussian bureaucracy, he can't see any way out. That is, until he enters a thrift shop and spots a Prussian officer's uniform that fits him like a second skin...

Countess Franziska "is kidnapped" by a band of robbers. However, her father is not willing to pay the ransom so Franziska changes sides.

Kurt Hoffmann′s satire concerning Germany′s development during the first half of the 20th century tells the story of two schoolmates - Hans and Bruno. They could not be more different. While Hans is ambitious and must always work hard for his career, it seems that the happy go lucky Bruno is carefree.

After many years on the oceans, sailor Hannes Wedderkamp has finally returned to Hamburg. On St. Pauli, Hannes sings songs from the sea in the hippodrome of his best friend Pitter Breuer on the Reeperbahn with the "Quetschkommode" songs and cares for the audience.

Out of outrage, the usually proper prosecutor Treskow, after a night of heavy drinking, adorns the statue of the local ruler with a muzzle. The next morning, he can’t remember a thing due to his intoxication. In the meantime, his act has been discovered and is causing a scandal. Of all people, Treskow is assigned the task of tracking down the culprit...

Nick Knatterton has the reputation of being the true master of all detectives, which is due to the fact that - like Sherlock Holmes - he can combine razor-sharp and - if necessary - strike even harder. His secretary Trudchen Taste, who not only adores her boss but also repeatedly attracts negative attention by spreading stupid stories, is a great help to him.