The 13-year-old Ludwig is to have for every joke. At boarding school he cuts his stern teacher, Captain a. D. Semmelmaier, during the nap from the beard. The angry pedagogue then sends the spoiled flail back to his beloved Bavarian village. The long-suffering mother persuades the rector to resume her reforming boy at the Latin school. Everything seems to be working out for the better, but the upcoming marriage of his sister Ännchen with the Berlin beer brewer Karl Schultheiss presents Ludwig with new challenges.
A German village gets a new doctor, but the conservative folk have trouble accepting a female for the job.
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.
Anny arrives in Munich to start a career as an actress, but soon ends up without money and job, sleeping on a park bench. When the police picks her up, she pretends to have amnesia and is taken to the police station. There she's surprised to get presented to her alleged parents. Not knowing yet what kind of game they play, she goes home with them and lets the rich couple coddle her.
The quiet life of an extended family is shaken up when a circus comes into town.