In this documentary Peter Merseburger depicts the German, who fought against two totalitarianisms: Fascism and Stalinism. The author traces the path taken by Willy Brandt from socialist to social democrat. It is a development which begins during his exile in Norway and Sweden and continues after 1945 in Berlin. Brandt is elected mayor of the city which stands at the very centre of the Cold War. As Chancellor of Germany he then seeks reconciliation with the Eastern Bloc, in order to overcome the division of Germany and of the entire continent of Europe. His policy was to achieve change by coming closer to his opponents. For a generation of young Germans Willy Brandt became an emblem of hope, a man who wanted more democracy. Willy Brandt was not a cynic who relished power for its own sake; he was a statesman who established moral standards. This is reflected in the many statements from contemporary witnesses who have been interviewed, political allies such as Egon Bahr, Hans Jochen Vogel, Helmut Schmidt, Helmut Kohl. But also foreign politicians including Henry Kissinger, Shimon Peres, Felipe Gonzales as well as top East German spy Markus Wolf.