Germany, Year Zero 1948

Köhlers assigned to the Rademachers' apartment

In the aftermath of the war, the Köhler family and others are moved into the apartment home of the Rademachers by the housing authority, much to Mr. Rademacher's irritation. The cramped, fragile space heightens the sense of precarious survival for Edmund and his kin. This setting becomes the stage for Edmund's early, desperate efforts to help his family survive.

Edmund meets Henning and gets a Hitler recording to sell

Edmund tries to help the family by finding work and soon encounters his former teacher, Herr Henning, who clings to Nazi ideas. Henning gives Edmund a recording of Hitler to sell to occupying soldiers and pays him 10 marks for the effort. He entrusts Edmund to the more experienced Jo and Christl, marking the start of a dangerous street network.

Jo and Edmund's theft; Edmund left with Christl

Edmund joins Jo in a theft, helping to steal 40 marks from a woman by posing as a soap seller. After the act, Jo leaves Edmund with Christl, described by a gang member as 'a mattress that dispenses cigarettes.' The encounter drags Edmund deeper into a harsh, criminal world.

Father falls ill; hospitalisation brings relief

As Mr. Köhler's health worsens, a kindly doctor secures him admission to a hospital, where he receives abundant, healthy food and temporary relief from the family's pressure. Edmund witnesses his father's misery and grasps the fragility of their hopes. The hospital stay offers a brief respite in their precarious world.

Father reveals thoughts of suicide; Edmund steals poison

The father laments his misery and admits he has contemplated suicide, feeling like a burden to his family. In a moment of desperation, Edmund steals poison while no one is watching. This act foreshadows the brutal choices the boy will face as hunger and despair deepen.

Discharged, father returns home; poisoning the tea and police raid

A few days later the father is discharged and returns home, and Edmund secretly poisons his father's tea just as police raid the apartment. Karl-Heinz turns himself in, setting off a chain of tragic events. The family's fragile safety collapses as the raid closes in.

Father dies during Karl-Heinz's custody; death blamed on malnutrition

The elder Köhler dies while Karl-Heinz is in police custody, and the death is attributed to malnutrition and war-made sickness. The loss deepens Edmund's guilt and isolation in a city that has already betrayed so many. The family is left to grieve under suspicion and fear.

Karl-Heinz returns; crushed by news of his father's death

Karl-Heinz comes back from custody to face the devastating news of his father's death and the family's collapse. He is overwhelmed by guilt, anger, and the sense that the war will never end their suffering. The siblings' fragile bond remains strained to the breaking point.

Edmund seeks solace; finds rejection from Christl

In the wake of the tragedy, Edmund searches for connection, first turning to Christl who is busy with younger men. Her indifference deepens his isolation and anger, and he feels increasingly abandoned by those around him. The city shows him little mercy as his world shrinks further.

Edmund confesses to Henning; Henning denies giving instruction

Desperate for guidance, Edmund goes to Henning and confesses that he killed his father, claiming the schoolteacher's earlier talk had inspired his act. Henning rejects responsibility and insists he never told Edmund to kill anyone. The exchange exposes the dangerous mixing of indoctrination and a child's violence.

Edmund is shunned by children in the street

Trying to join younger children for a game of soccer, Edmund is rejected and forced to watch from the margins. The social rejection mirrors his growing alienation and the sense that no one will accept him after everything he's done. The moment deepens his isolation in a city that has turned its back on him.

Edmund climbs bombed-out ruins and watches his father's coffin

Edmund ascends the ruins of a destroyed building and looks through a hole as his father's coffin is carried away across the street. The city’s rubble becomes a symbol of his broken world and the weight of family duty pressing on him. The image foreshadows the tragedy that will push him toward a final act.