Their lives are already mapped out for them – but four friends, with the help of their dedicated teacher, try to find their own personal happiness.
At the prestigious Boarding School at Holstentor, the daughters of wealthy Lübeck families learn what is expected of them. But the turn of the century brings changes. Nora, the spirited daughter of an earl, is particularly determined in her attempts to throw off the straitjacket of society. Together with her friends Agnes (the daughter of a businessman), Lotte (the daughter of a senator) and Fanny (a scholarship girl), she enjoys her carefree life at the school before her fate is decided. The girls find a confidante in young teacher Gesche Petersen, who encourages them in their desire for education and autonomy. But when Gesche falls in love with Nora’s brother Henry, she herself comes up against the barriers of social class. It seems unthinkable that she should marry the young viscount. And Nora’s friendship with the young dockworker Karl also flies in the face of social convention …
