A story about a radical couple, love and betrayal, revolution and the beginnings of social democracy
Berlin, 1845: Ferdinand Lassalle, a student, meets Countess Sophie von Hatzfeldt, 20 years his senior, and falls in love with her. She is married to one of the richest and most powerful men in the country and wants to divorce him – but no lawyer has the courage to represent her. Without a moment’s hesitation, Lassalle abandons his studies to fight for her freedom and rights. He transforms the divorce proceedings into a public indictment of prevailing conditions.
Detested and repeatedly arrested by the authorities as an enemy of the state, Lassalle is celebrated by the people and, with the Countess’s support, rises to become the spokesman of the budding workers’ movement, paving the way for the social democratic movement. His volcanic character and her soothing nature form a powerful symbiosis – until he meets Helene von Dönniges, the daughter of a diplomat, and embarks on a disastrous affair.
A great story about the unusual love between two unconventional minds and, at the same time, an impressive, radiant portrait of the period during which our social system began to take shape.
