In 1959, in a small German village, the annual fair is set up. When a carousel is fixed firmly in the ground, a fair worker discovers a skeleton, a steel helmet, and a machine gun. The skeleton belongs to Robert Mertens, a plain soldier, who deserted in 1944 und flew to his home village. But when he arrived, no one wanted to help him, neither his former friends nor the minister, or even his own parents.

In the twenty- sixth century the inhabitants of Utopia have so lost their individuality , which vary in number. They live in glass houses ( this was written before the invention of television) , which allows the political police , called "Keepers " can easily supervise them. They all wear the same uniform and usually turn to each other or as a " cipher -so " or " UNIFEM " ( uniform). They feed on artificial food and rest hour marching in fours in a row the anthem of the One State, pouring out of the loudspeakers . As they are allowed to put a break on the hour (known as the " sexy time "), draw the curtains of their glass houses. At the head of the One State is one called The Benefactor , which are replaced every year the whole population , usually unanimously. The guiding principle of the State is that happiness and freedom are incompatible .