Der Ring des Schicksals (1916)

Shortly before his death, Professor Duyssen throws a valuable ring out of the window. He had once brought it back from India; it was a gift from a Maharaja. Duyssen wants to prevent the ring from passing to his daughter Margot as an inheritance, since it has brought nothing but misfortune to every one of its owners so far. Two crooks, Hans von Bergen and the beggar Thomas, find the ring and decide to sell it for a profit. Its new buyer is the elderly Count Roloff, who pays van Bergen a large sum for the precious piece of jewelry. Now van Bergen is wealthy and can marry his fiancée—and her name is Margot Duyssen. She wants to see the ring, which she knows Bergen once had in his possession, but does not know that he has since sold it. Bergen asks the count to let him have the ring again, but the count brusquely refuses. Van Bergen and Thomas then break into Count Roloff’s home. The old count catches the two in the act and is shot dead by Hans van Bergen. Van Bergen is sentenced to a long prison term, whereupon Margot divorces him. Instead, she marries the young Count Roloff, Kurt. After being released from prison, van Bergen breaks into Margot’s house. There he sees that his ex-wife has since become a mother, and he abandons his evil intentions. He steals the cursed ring to protect her and throws it into the river. Then Hans jumps in after it and drowns himself.