Der Frühling braucht Zeit (1965)

Heinz Solter, a non-party member and engineer at a gas utility, is summarily dismissed by its director, Erhard Faber, in a unilateral decision. When his daughter Inge comes home and is just telling him that she has heard about his dismissal, the doorbell rings and he is arrested, accused of gross negligence, if not outright sabotage. Solter is respected by everyone at the utility; his competence is undisputed, and he does not hold back his opinions even when speaking to the management. Yet he is also trusting enough to give in to pressure from Comrade Schellhorn, a representative of the higher-level agency, and approve a gas pipeline and its associated station in violation of binding standards. This decision enables the utility, once again, to win the quarter’s socialist competition and receive a substantial bonus and the challenge pennant. Although Solter had warned of the possible dangers of bringing the facility into operation prematurely, a serious breakdown occurs because of the severe winter temperatures around the gas installation. Only his immediate intervention, with the support of foreman Rudi Wiesen, keeps the gas supply to the northern districts running. A steam locomotive belonging to the Deutsche Reichsbahn supplies the steam needed to heat the installation. Even so, the damage amounts to about half a million marks. Prosecutor Burger, who was initially biased against Solter—after all, Solter had volunteered for the Navy in 1942 during the Second World War—decides, on the basis of a written witness statement from Technical Director Dr. Kranz, to investigate the case at the utility again. It emerges that the technical acceptance inspection was carried out on the management’s orders, since meeting targets, success, and his own career come first for Director Faber. The investigation leads to heated disputes at the utility, during which more and more employees take Solter’s side. The charges are withdrawn.