A village in the South Tyrol during the thirties. The Facist work to italianize the whole population of Sotuh Tyrol by changing the surnames into Italian by adding a vowel to those ending an a consonant when possible, by employnig Italian speaking people in the state jobs, by forcing school children to attend parades and adults to attend the me istitutions organizing the workers free-time activities.
High up in the mountains there are two rural houses where the Tschurtschenthaler and Oberhollenzer families live. The incomes of the families living here are very small, but, unfortunately, the taxes continue to increase. Herman, who is heir to the house and land, places his hopes in the Great Germany and especially in Hitler.