In the Republic of Utopia, because of the bad economic crisis ailing the nation, the Jews are made the scapegoats for the economic and social ills affecting the population; therefore, the government decides to expel them. Leo Strakosch is among the exiled. He is engaged to Counsellor's Linder's daughter. He gets into the Republic, in a clandestine way, to show to the society the wrongness of their anti-semitic prejudice. Bettauer's novel differs essentially from the film version. "Vienna" was named "Utopia." Even a happy ending was provided.
Ten years after the end of World War I, Austrian soldier Franz leaves Russia and returns to his village, where he is reunited with Frieda, a woman who believes he is her long-lost son. She seeks him out and greets him with such loving joy, that Franz doesn't have the heart to tell her the truth. He stays with her and when he gets to know his new girlfriend Annie, he begs her to hide his true identity from Annie. Annie, for her part, has seen through this charade already, but chooses to say nothing and to continue to care for Franz.
A young Viennese actor is having much success on the stage; but intrigue and confusion in his love life are making his life a living Hell.
