A long time ago, John Miller emigrated from Germany to America. Now he wants his daughter Elinor to get to know his old homeland and sends her off to Heidelberg, where she is to study for a year. Pretty soon, the pretty young girl is in demand among the young men in town. Especially the students Dahlberg and Bornemann try to win Elinor's heart.
After eight years in exile Martin returns to Berlin. He was involved in the German Revolution of 1918/1919 and had to leave the country as a result. Impoverished and lonely, he struggles on alone until the market saleswoman Hanne offers him shelter, although she does not have much money either. They fall in love and Martin even finds work on the construction site for the subway through Tempelhofer Feld. One day, however, he collapses there, whereupon the pregnant Hanne tries to nurse him back to health.
It was not just the children who were treated badly by the wealthy Weimar republic. Robert Kramer is released from prison but struggles to adjust to civilian life. His father disowns him, his wife has left him for another man. There is no work. He eventually arrives in a shelter for the homeless, and seeks salvation through Emma, a prostitute.