In July 1945, US troops are leaving Saxony and Thuringia while the Red Army takes control of the territories. In a small village near Leipzig, the inhabitants try to adjust to the new authority. A Nazi claims to be an anti-fascist, an entrepreneur hopes for a new interest in amusement, a woman wants to guard her niece against the danger of being raped. Joschi, a former member of the Hitler Youth, searches the town for a buried treasure chest. Although he was indoctrinated with Nazi ideology as a kid, he admires the Americans and wants to follow them. He falls in love with local girl Isa, and together they flee the village once the Russians arrive. But when they finally meet US soldiers, the GIs take the chest and Isa and leave a disillusioned Joschi behind.