The story of the last days of Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter (1907-43), who was executed by the Nazi regime because of his refusal to compromise with a perverse system.
After his stepbrother Jacob dies in an accident, farmer Matthias Ferner learns from Paula, Jacob's spouse of many years, that she and her two children will inherit the whole farm. She takes over command immediately, failing to realize that Matthias must feel like her servant. So he searches and destroys his brother's will and even swears perjury in court - but there's a witness he didn't count in.