It was sergeant major Milton Harrison who gave the order to blow-up the gate of Buchenwald. This entry of the unit on the date of April, 11th in 1945 led to the storming of the camp.
Captain Helmut Haag - member of an instruktional troop of the US-army - arrived some days later on Ettersberg near Weimar.
Thomas Crawford - that time army officer of a armoured division - belonged to the liberators of Buchenwald as well. Before that, Crawford and his division had taken over the pursuit of fleeing German soldiers. At this point, after his following return to Weimar, he had the rank of a military commander of this area.
These three named US-soldiers were shocked when they first took note of the existence of the concentration camp.

Buchenwald got well-known for the fact that the US-troops practised there the most ruthless way of confrontation which should make the German population familiar to the cruelties of the Nazi-regime. This clear direction became plainly recognizable when April, 16th in 1945 about 1000 citizens of Weimar had to take part of a punishment hike on to Ettersberg for getting an idea of the horror by themselves. During the following weeks hundreds had to help with the clearing-up operations.
The indignation of the American liberators was just growing when the citizens of Weimar seriously claimed that they did not know anything about these actions which were offending human rights.

Centre of the film are the memories of the three US-soldiers mentioned above. For the completion, historical documentary material is taken. Both, citizens of Weimar as well as former prisoners were required to describe their experiences of the freeing of the camp by the American troops.