A panorama of German history from 1848 to 1989, during the time of change. Along the now-permeable wall walk two old men, one tall and lanky, the other short and stocky. An unequal, comical pair: the office messenger Theo Wuttke, known as Fonty, and his "day-and-night shadow" Hoftaller, the eternal informant. Their memories span great distances; both live in the shadow of their predecessors, and for both, the past is as close and present as the rapidly unfolding events of the day. From the juxtaposition of unusual life stories and political developments emerges a panorama of German history between the March Revolution of 1848 and our present day, a series of colorful picture stories from then and now that defy any chronology.