Kurt Schroeder, a young chauffeur for an East German major, watches in horror as Gunther Jurgens, his closest friend, is shot down while trying to crash through the Berlin Wall in a truck. When Gunther's sister Erika also fails in an attempt to escape, Kurt rescues her and hides her in his house. Aware that his family and neighbors are also anxious to flee the Russian sector, and becoming increasingly attached to Erika, Kurt hits upon the idea of digging a tunnel from his family's home into West Berlin. One member of the group keeps watch while the others work, until one night, just before dawn, Kurt reaches the other side of the Wall. The mass escape is scheduled for the following night, but Erika's parents turn informers in the hope of winning favors from the Communists. The group learns of the betrayal from Heidi Eckhardt, the major's wife, and they make their departure ahead of schedule. As the police break into the Schroeder home, the tunnel collapses--but not before the escapees have reached the safety of West Berlin.
