Two young people, Ric and Klaus, travel to Poland together to spend their holiday there. They are quite proud and happy when they are put up by a friendly man from Cracow who allows them to use his flat freely. They feel accepted and at the same time, pleasantly and unusually independent. They embark on a journey of discovery and meet very different kinds of people. In conversations and narrations, the past comes to life for them - they experience both embittered people and those who are looking for new links between GDR citizens and Poles. To their surprise, the two young people also discover how differently they respond to people and events. Because of a misunderstanding, Ric gets into a state of panic, rushes into the street to look for Klaus. He is run over and killed by a tram. In these tragic hours, Klaus experiences sympathy and helpfulness on the part of Polish people. Through them, he understands the huge loss he has suffered and discovers an entirely unsuspected sensitivity and ability to mourn in himself.
