Misfortune plagues a poor woodcarver until it get bored and asks the woodcarver to pass it on to the rich and pompous merchant Habermoos. After Habermoos is plundered by robbers, he sells Misfortune to the king, who is soon bankrupt and under threat of attack by neighboring countries.

This entertainment film features a colorfully mixed program of musical numbers, along with the most popular artists of GDR music, film and television. Before each performance, the artists involved are seen in an everyday situation in their life.

Neumi's Rock Circus was a German music group founded by Hans Joachim "Neumi" Neumann in 1979. The lead singer's costumes and pantomine were a hallmark of the band, whose performances blended rock music with slapstick and cabaret elements.

The music group Silly, with lead singer Tamara Danz, perform the hit song "Tanzt keiner Boogie?" ("Does No One Dance the Boogie?") from their 1981 debut album. Their humerous interpretation of the lyrics comments on contemporary dancing styles among young people.

The Berlin rock group Passion performs their "Song of the Apple," which combines rock and folklore styles to tell a parable about an apple harvest with ripe and green fruit. The band members act out the song in a humorous way, giving the lyrics a double meaning.

Berlin opera director Andrei Vishnevsky decides to put on a production of Don Giovanni.

The mayor of Sonnethal wants to gain attention for both himself and his small town by fostering a leading soccer team and a thriving sports culture.

The teacher Wolfgang Auer and the policeman Hannes Wunderlich are friends and housemates.

In the GDR, purchasing a car was such a difficult process that many families applied for one years in advance. For example, Gisela secretly orders a Wartburg model after the birth of her first child.