Driven by need and a thirst for knowledge, Krabat wanders through the impoverished country and falls under the control of the "black miller". Krabat defends himself against him, but his opponent still has the stronger means of power.

The 18-year-old Katharina Jens is a high diving champion and succeeds in everything she does. When she enters an international contest in place of her team colleague Claudia, expectations are accordingly high. However, when she misses the one-and-a-half somersault with a double twist her team fails to gain victory. Suddenly, the question arises if she is in fact good enough.

Vera Kemp, heiress of an industrial enterprise, lives in an apparently perfect world. While she doesn't care for big business, her husband Manfred runs the company. However, she learns about his affair with a younger woman and tries to save her marriage. During a vacation in Italy, Manfred and their son Max die in a road accident. Vera nearly despairs of her grief and, even worse, recognizes that her whole life has been a lie. Andreas Wolgast, a former employee, is the only one who supports her fight for the company and against her caballing family...

Two 17-year-olds, Werner Holt and Gilbert Wolzow, are pulled out of school and into Hitler's army. Gilbert becomes a fanatical soldier; but at the front, Werner begins to understand the senselessness of war.