Wer die Heimat liebt

Lene Thurner is standing on a train platform in Munich. She has to decide: back to Berlin where she lives, or toward the south, where at the foot of the Alps her family lives on the lonely farm “Hierankl”.

The young Count Ettingen leads a dissolute life in Munich with the demanding Baroness Prankha at his side. To finance his life, he has his uncle cut down the forests in his estate without caring about the consequences. When he catches his girlfriend having an affair, however, he retreats to the mountains. From the young alpine dairymaid Lore he learns about another side of life and wants to stop the overexploitation of the forest. But the baroness still wants his money.

On the Schiermoser farm tense expectation prevails. The 'Urban', the Schaubleins, surprisingly announced their arrival. In the past, they were welcome as generous summer visitors. But now the shortage years of the First World War prevail. And the farmer's wife suspects lazy parasites in the townsfolk. The city family is indeed facing ruin. Especially since the defiant daughter Rosalie has just knocked out a promising money marriage without regard to scandal. The Rosalie is attracted to the Schiermoser heir Franz. His mother already drives the thought of a 'Madame Bäurin' to madness. Everyone experiences a turbulent time of upheaval. The end of the First World War will shake the social fronts as well as the new machine age.

A Tyrolean rifle regiment adopt a young baby girl they have rescued and she becomes the "Daughter of the Regiment". In 1811, as a full-grown woman she falls in love with one of the new recruits while the regiment battles French forces during the Napoleonic Wars.

When seminarian Martin Rufmann arrives in St. Eustachen, idyllically located in the Carinthian mountains, the local choral society is celebrating a joyous festival. Martin is the youngest son of the widowed head forester Thomas Rufmann. Martin's older brother Friedolin has inherited his father's love of hunting and is one of the best hunters in the area. He is also engaged to the pretty innkeeper's daughter Helene Schwarzaug. At the feast, Friedolin and his cronies drink heavily to the black liquor of the charcoal burner Krauthaas. Friedolin and the townspeople Günther have a loud argument in front of everyone. When Günther is found murdered a short time later, suspicion immediately falls on Friedolin. To save his brother, Martin accuses himself of the crime. The two brothers are arrested. The real culprit soon turns himself in, but in the meantime Thomas Rufmann has disappeared without a trace.

After Hansi's sister and girlfriend want to move to Munich for their respective reasons, he decides not to be a hurdle in their path and let them pursue their goals.