It is the summer of 1939. In a small village near Potsdam, unheard-of events are occurring: almost daily, a barn, a stable, or a grain stack goes up in flames. Two years earlier, it had started with a major fire at the village manor. But now the fires never cease. The village volunteer fire brigade is powerless. When help arrives from neighboring towns, it is usually too late. Chickens and pigs repeatedly burn, and the property damage is immense.

On the eve of the Second World War, mistrust is widespread. Is a perverse criminal at work here? Or is it some form of resistance against state authority? Government councilor Schroth from the Potsdam police headquarters is convinced of the latter. Soon, everyone suspects everyone else. Even Fire Chief Garmatter comes under suspicion—after all, he is not originally from Germany. And then there are two Polish firefighters... And what role does the shady night watchman with his hand siren play? A teenager on his moped also draws attention...

Bernd Erhard Fischer tells the story of a mysterious arsonist based on real events that were widely reported in the press at the time and sparked endless speculation—a gripping crime story and a harrowing social study at the same time.