Among the crowd of Soviet citizens observing them is Tatyana Krylova, who listens to a woman comment on the prisoners' unkempt appearance, calling them barbarians.

When the woman points out a limping soldier with an intellectual demeanor, suggesting he may have been forced into the war, Tatyana interjects, stating she has seen such "civilized" Germans before, and all turned out to be killers.

The family, including their daughter Lotte and her fiancé, Rudolf Peschke, treat Tatyana with disdain, subjecting her to heavy labor and constant humiliation.

Despite the hardship, Tatyana finds hope in Sergey’s plan to save leftover bread to prepare for an escape in spring, intending to take Klava with them.

Matters worsen when Max, the Krausses’ son, returns from the Eastern Front with his friend Kurt, revealing himself to be a hardened and brutal soldier.

Conflict erupts over the hidden money, culminating in Max and Kurt murdering Sergey after falsely accusing him of defaming Germany.