The Silent Revolution

In late 1956, Kurt and Theo secretly travel from Stalinstadt to West Berlin to see a cinema. They watch a newsreel about the Hungarian uprising, which heightens their awareness of political tensions in East Germany. When they return home, they begin convincing classmates to visit the nearby home of Edgar to listen to West Berlin radio.

Back in Stalinstadt, Kurt and Theo persuade several classmates to visit Edgar's home to listen to RIAS. The group tunes in to West Berlin broadcasts and becomes aware of international events. This plan seeds future actions and the class's growing willingness to challenge authority.

At Edgar's, the students listen to RIAS and hear news of Ferenc Puskás's supposed death, which turns out to be misinformation designed to inflame protests. The revelation unsettles them and shows how easily information can be manipulated. The incident strengthens their resolve to stay connected with West Berlin sources.

Kurt persuades the majority of the class to observe a moment of silence for the Hungarian victims before class starts. The gesture shocks their teacher and draws harsh attention from authorities. Erik notes that it is an act of protest in disguise.

The class meets again at Edgar's home and votes to lie about what happened, agreeing to claim the moment of silence was a mourning tribute to footballer Puskás. The decision cements the group's solidarity while increasing the risk of exposure. They understand the potential fallout from their deception.

Kessler, the zealous school superintendent, begins to look into the incident and to identify the instigator. She starts gathering information from students and reviewing the events surrounding the visit to Edgar and the RIAS broadcast. The pressure to find someone to blame intensifies quickly.

Fritz Lange, the minister for national education, arrives at the school and classifies the incident as counter-revolutionary. He demands that the class point to the instigator and escalates the political stakes for everyone involved. The mood shifts from curiosity to fear as officials take a hard line.

Under pressure, the class remains silent and refuses to identify a single instigator. As punishment, they are prohibited from graduating, depriving them of a normal path forward. Their futures seem increasingly uncertain as the crackdown tightens.

Under pressure, Erik admits the full story about Edgar and listening to RIAS. Edgar is arrested, with Paul witnessing the arrest. The crackdown reinforces the consequences of speaking out and pressures others to stay silent.

Theo's father tries to reason with Lange about the uprising, but his pleas carry little weight. Lange remains unswayed, likely due to his own harsh view of dissent and his past involvement in 1953.

The next day, Kessler interrogates every class member. To pressure Erik, she reveals that his revered father was a Nazi collaborator who was hanged by the Red Army. Erik cannot bear the revelation, shoots his firearm instructor, and is overpowered by three classmates, then confesses to having given up Kurt.

That evening, Kessler tries to persuade Kurt to place the blame on Erik, but Kurt refuses and escapes to West Berlin. His flight marks a decisive break with the regime's expectations and highlights the personal risks involved.

The next day, Kessler asks every class member to confirm that Kurt was the instigator. The class refuses to assign blame, maintaining solidarity, but they are expelled as a consequence. The decision seals their separation from the East German education system.

Within a few days, the expelled students flee together to West Berlin to seek safety and freedom from the GDR. Their collective escape demonstrates the strength and peril of student dissent under an oppressive regime. The journey marks the end of this chapter and the beginning of a new, uncertain life in the West.