Karl Achilles, who has worked for thirty years in the chemical collective in Bitterfeld, is looking forward to retirement and plans to do everything he always wanted to do, but never had the time for: go on holiday with his wife, spend time with his children, and cultivate his flower garden. But it is a difficult farewell for Achilles, who is still able to work but nevertheless understands that he must make room for new workers in the collective that he has helped build since 1945.