Deutschland, nach Ende des 2. Weltkriegs. Der 12-jährige Edmund muss für den Unterhalt seiner Familie sorgen. Seine Schwester prostituiert sich, bringt gelegentlich Kohlen, Kartoffeln und Zigaretten mit nach Hause. Der ältere Bruder ist aus der Kriegsgefangenschaft zurück, ohne Essensmarken, und kapselt sich lethargisch von der Welt ab. Der schwer kranke, immer klagende Vater bedeutet eine Last für die ganze Familie.Auf seinen Streifzügen durch die Trümmerfelder trifft Edmund auf seinen ehemaligen Lehrer. Der sagt ihm, Alte und Kranke hätten kein Recht mehr auf Leben, wenn sie den Jungen den Platz und die Nahrung wegnehmen. Beeinflusst von dieser Haltung stiehlt Edmund aus einem Krankenhaus Gift, mit dem er seinen Vater umbringt. Durch seine Tat verwirrt und verzweifelt streunt er zwei Tage durch die Straßen. Als er Zuflucht bei seinem Lehrer sucht, stößt dieser ihn entsetzt von sich. Von Angst und Reue gequält stürzt sich der Junge aus einer Ruine in den Tod.

The story follows a twelve year old boy, Edmund Koeler. Edmund lives with his ailing father and his brother and sister in a bombed out apartment building with five other families. His sister, Eva, is unjustly accused of prostituting herself to  Allied officers in Berlin. His brother, Karl-Heinz, has not stepped forward to register with the police, because he is afraid of being punished for being a Nazi.  Edmund is mainly left on his own to survive. Edmund deals in the black market and is cheated by older children, who are much more savvy to street life than Edmund, who (at least for a time) manages to salvage some of his childhood innocence.  He is eventually corrupted by various forces resulting from the fallout of Nazi rule.  Some of the children he hangs out with introduce him to stealing and to casual sex.  Mr. Enning (a former school teacher) also corrupts Edmund and profits off selling Nazi artifacts on the blackmarket. He praises Edmund for joining the Hitler Youth when his father tried to get him exempt. In addition, he is harboring a Nazi general. Mr. Enning is also painted as being a homosexual and a pedophile.  After visiting Mr. Enning while looking for help, Edmund is told by his former teacher that his father should die because the weak die and the strong survive. Edmund interprets these words in an extreme manner and proceeds to poison his father in order to relieve his suffering and lift the burden placed on his family to take care of the sick man. Afterwards, Edmund is unable to bear the guilt of having done such a thing and throws himself out of a burned building across the street from where his family lives, falling to his death.