During the German occupation in Czechia the nurse Eliska and the doctor Richard Littner have a love affair. It is the year 1943 and both are fighting in the resistance. Once Eliska saves the life of Joza, a dangerously wounded lumberman, who takes her to his village Zélary when Eliska has to escape after a failed secret action. There she appears under the name Hana Novakova and the two marry to make their camouflage more plausible, but as time passes they really fall in love with each other.
But one sunday during Advent 1944 a SS officer appears and shoots a prisoner on the square of the village to demonstrate what happens to those, who hide traitors. The people are shocked, but they get new hope, when the Russians come in 1945. Their presence is cause of new riots and one time Joza is shot during a fight, when he is only looking for survivors.
15 years later, in 1960 Eliska and Richard Littner revisit the ruins of Zélary.