The ex-gymnast and survival artist Emil falls in love with the prostitute Lissy. Through her he meets some criminals whom he can help thanks to his gymnastic skills. But on his rise in the criminal hierarchy, Lissy might fall by the wayside.
Left behind by his mother, an alcoholic prostitute, Georg grew up carelessly with his aunt and grandmother. As an adult he works in a department store canteen and has become an outsider due to his shape and infantile appearance.
East Friesian Otto moves to the big city Hamburg. There he gets into trouble with a loan shark and needs to find a way to impress his love interest Silvia.