On may 8th 1945, three months after the massive allied area bombing Dresden looks like a expanse of ruins. In the same time lekt the soviet troops Erich Braun, a former member of resistance who was in a concentartion camp, returns to Dresden and expiriences the city in agony: war orphans meander around, the adults are paralysed in hoplessness. Isn’t the mission to search and rescue the disappeared pictures of the “Zwingergalerie” of the soldiers of Hauptmann Leonow a bit anachronistic? So it seems to be to the nihilistic painter Pau Naumann, who has lost his arm and even the belief in mankind in the war. Also Luise Rank, curator of the “Dresdener Galerie”, entertains some doubts. Nevertheless they let themself be draged bei the engegagement of Leonow. While Braun and his companions have their first efforts in building up Dresden again, Leonow and his soldiers are able to locate the first picture in a tunnle.