In 1948 and 1949, Berlin is plagued by social upheaval as a 17-year-old hoodlum named Gladow (Ulrich Wesselmann) partners with local white-collar criminal Gustav Völpel (Hilmar Thate). As the Soviets attempt to blockade their region, Gladow's gang of thugs terrorizes the city, while Völpel eventually finds himself back in prison rather than seeking a life of crime under the new order.