This film is an authentic description of the life of the Protestant theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. During the time of the Hitler regime he was an active member of the group around General Canaris, who wanted to overthrow Hitler. After plans had failed he was in prison for two years. The movie shows the theologian as a friendly, cosmopolitan and intelligent man, who had an important role in the church at the time of the Hitler regime.

After Hitler's seizure of power in 1933, the Nazis put themselves at the head of all institutions in German society. Even the church suffers from the occupation, but Bonhoeffer doesn't want to accept the new role of the church. He keeps on telling about the only "leader": Jesus Christ. But the Gestapo stops him. He is no longer allowed to preach. From that time on the Gestapo has an eye on him. His own familiy has to suffer because of the new race laws. During a visit in the USA he gets to know about the "Reichskristallnacht", but returns home even though it is very dangerous. He works as courier for the resistance against Hitler and soon joins the group around General Hans Oster and Admiral Canaris. The first assassination fails and a lot of people are imprisoned, also Bonhoeffer. But all proof is hidden well and he survives several interrogations. On July 20th in 1944 the second assassination fails and proof against Bonhoeffer is found, so that his situation in prison becomes worse. Shortly before the end of the war he is executed in the concentration camp Flossenbürg.