▁family ▁who ▁have ▁begun ▁doing ▁business ▁with ▁the ▁Naz i ▁Party . ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁the ▁Reich stag ▁fire , ▁the ▁family ' s ▁conserv ative ▁patri arch , ▁Baron ▁Jo achim ▁von ▁Ess en beck , ▁who ▁represents ▁the ▁old ▁arist ocr atic ▁Germany ▁and ▁det ests ▁Adolf ▁Hitler , ▁is ▁murder ed . ▁Herbert ▁Th al mann , ▁the ▁family ▁firm ' s ▁vice ▁president , ▁who ▁open ly ▁oppos es ▁the ▁Naz is , ▁is ▁fr amed ▁for ▁the ▁crime . ▁He ▁esc apes ▁the ▁grasp ▁of ▁the ▁Gest ap o , ▁but ▁his ▁wife ▁Elizabeth ▁and ▁their ▁children ▁do ▁not . ▁ ▁The ▁family ' s ▁emp ire ▁passes ▁to ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁an ▁un sc rup ul ous ▁relative , ▁the ▁bo or ish ▁SA ▁officer ▁Konst antin . ▁Wait ing ▁in ▁the ▁wings ▁are ▁his ▁son ▁Gün ther , ▁a ▁sensitive ▁and ▁trouble d ▁student , ▁and ▁his ▁nep hew , ▁Martin , ▁an ▁am oral , ▁sex ually ▁devi ant ▁play boy ▁who ▁is ▁secret ly ▁mol est ing ▁his ▁young ▁cousin ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁poor ▁Jewish ▁girl . ▁Martin ▁is ▁domin ated ▁by ▁his ▁possess ive ▁mother , ▁Soph ie , ▁the ▁wid ow ▁of ▁Baron ▁Jo achim ' s ▁only ▁son , ▁a ▁fallen ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁hero . ▁ ▁Friedrich ▁Bru ck mann , ▁an ▁employee ▁of ▁the ▁family ▁firm ▁and ▁Soph ie ' s ▁lo ver , ▁asc ends ▁in ▁power ▁despite ▁his ▁low ly ▁social ▁status , ▁thanks ▁to