A sculptor, an enemy of modern art, sets an example. He sculpts a statue of Venus in the style of the Greek antiquity and buries it in a forest. When it's dug up in 1930, it's considered to be a 2 000 year old, antique statue.
The bored heir to a soap factory is able through pure chance to work incognito in the 153rd branch of the business. While doing so, he falls in love with a beautiful customer, gets into a rivalry with a jealous worker and helps to expose a dishonest boss.
The story takes place in the early 1950s in the small village of Oberschönau in the Bavarian Alps. The teacher's daughter Maria and the young farmer Mathias want to get married soon. But a serious blow of fate puts a stop to the couple's plans: the hunting assistant Franz has been stabbed to death...
Rosalie is young and pretty maid on the farm of the winemaker Jacob. She becomes pregnant with the servant Marko, who disappears with a gypsy singer, leaving Rosalie alone in her awkward situation.