Berlin at the beginning of the 1930s, economic crisis, chaos: Bruno, Franz and Emil, three unemployed young men, are looking for a way out of their misery and decide to kidnap Abel Austerlitz, the son of a rich Jewish factory owner. Emil's charming sister Rosamunde lures Abel into the trap, and the gang of crooks then hold him captive in a cellar hideout on the outskirts of Berlin. While they organize the money transfer, Abel's father informs the police and the unconventional Inspector Jablonski begins to search for the perpetrators. Rosamunde falls in love with Abel and the situation spirals out of control.