After Foreman Kretzschmer (Victor Curlandt) dies, his deputy Franz (Wolfgang Schenck) is made acting foreman. The workers in his group support Franz and take it for granted that at some point he’ll get a permanent promotion. But management has different ideas: they want to hire a young outsider, on the theory that new brooms sweep well. When Ernst (Peter Gauhe), a young graduate from a polytechnic institute, is introduced as the new foreman, the group fights against him and for Franz. But it turns out that they were mistaken about Franz—and about Ernst. (Adapted from notes by The Fassbinder Foundation)