Miniseries

1972 · 5 episodes · 8h 18m in all

The sprawling story of the everyday triumphs and travails of the young toolmaker Jochen and many of the people populating his world, including the woman he loves, his eccentric family, and his colleagues, with whom he bands together to improve conditions on the factory floor.

1. Jochen and Marion
29 Oct 1972 · 107 min
In Cologne lives the middle-class Epp family, where one son, Jochen, works in a tool factory and shares close comradeship with his colleagues. While out to purchase alcohol for a family gathering, Jochen meets the beautiful Marion Andreas, who has an office advertising job, a love affair between them develops.
2. Oma and Gregor
27 Dec 1972 · 105 min
Grandmother Oma spends time searching for an apartment she can afford with her new boyfriend Gregor, a gentleman she has picked up in a park. When they run across a library space being abandoned by town authorities, Oma comes up with the idea of taking it over as a kindergarten for the neighbourhood children with no place to play except the street. She and Gregor become do-it-yourself squatters.
3. Franz and Ernst
21 Jan 1973 · 97 min
The closely knit comrades at the factory have hoped that, after some training, Franz would replace the recently deceased foreman. But their office manager prefers to bring in an outsider, which causes tension.
4. Harald and Monika
18 Feb 1973 · 95 min
Prodded by a visit from Marion's strict mother, Jochen plans to marry Marion. Whereas tensions growing between Monika and the abusive Harald lead Monika to consider divorce.
5. Irmgard and Rolf
18 Mar 1973 · 94 min
With the news the factory is relocating, Jochen and Marion ask if they can switch apartments with Kathe and Wolf, to be closer to their respective jobs. And with this new inconvenience, the workers come up with a list of demands, including the seemingly impractical proposal that they arrange their own schedule rather than it being dictated by the bosses.