The taxi driver Fritz gets to know the millionaire-heiress Iris and marries her against the wishes of her family. They live together in a small apartment and are very happy. But Fritz wants to offer Iris more and thus finds a position as a laborer in a large car factory and ends up making a career for himself as a race car driver. But while he is driving from one victory to another, he is getting more and more estranged from his young wife. As his career starts to go downhill, he notices the mistakes he has made and tries to win Iris back.

Prague in the 1860s: Balduin is a popular, handsome student, the best fencer in town, in amicable rivalry with his friend Dahl for the affections of Lydia, the innkeeper's niece. While the students are celebrating Lydia's birthday, the opera singer Julia Stella arrives at the inn - and Balduin's life begins to unravel. He is immediately infatuated with the glamorous singer - but she is already kept by an admirer, the wealthy and foppish Baron Waldis. How can a poor student hope to compete? The mysterious Dr. Carpis, who also has ties to Julia and is jealous of the Baron, intervenes. But the price will be higher than Balduin can ever imagine. He risks his sanity and his life - perhaps his very soul - haunted by his own reflection.

The holidays are over and the students of the Schiller high school in Baldenburg. The new term will wake up with the chorale , my heart, and sing before Director Bartmann reads a deed of gift from Manfred Werner from Bahia in Brazil .