Horst Winter

Alexander Schonath is an exceptionally gifted musician who plays first violin in a philharmonic orchestra. But when the orchestra runs into financial difficulties, Alexander is the first to leave and join a dance band – the other musicians, especially his father, see him as a "deserter." In Alexander's absence, his younger, perpetually sickly brother Hans makes a career in the philharmonic and becomes engaged to Maria, the daughter of the orchestra's chairman, Herbert Hartwig.

A documentary about the planning and construction of the Palace of the Republic, Berlin.

The film follows the creation, construction and design of the “Grand Hotel” on Friedrichstrasse in East Berlin: from the excavation pit to the shell of the building to its completion and the handing over of the keys.