Congress of Vienna, 1815: In order to lure certain monarchs away from the conference, the Austrians instigate a ceaseless sequence of operas and balls. Indeed, Russian Czar Alexander is distracted when he falls for a beautiful salesgirl.
Told in flashback, the film recounts the events leading up to the killing of good-for-nothing Curt Jurgens. Warned by her friends and relatives that Jurgens is a bad job, impulsive Ina Kahr marries him anyway. His ceaseless philandering and abuse wears away at Ina to the point that she contemplates poisoning her husband...
In a small town a bag with delicate letters disappears. Many of the residents are worried about their written messages. A clever sculptor uses the opportunity to play a prank.
