Operetta has always been an escape from everyday life into a dream world. But what if what is happening in the world is so terrible that it can no longer be forgotten? In the first months of 1938, current political life intrudes into the Volksoper during rehearsals for the operetta Gruß und Kuss aus der Wachau. What do intolerance, discrimination and fascism do to the staff of the Volksoper? 

In the course of rehearsals, the seizure of power by the National Socialists brings about serious changes for the Volksoper: dismissals follow at all levels of the house. A captivating look into the mirror of the past can also mean a confrontation with a painful period in the history of the Volksoper. We don't want to avoid that. By telling the story of the Volksoper staff, we preserve the memory of ALL victims. At the same time, we do not lose sight of the actions of the perpetrators, which could happen again at any time, but we also remember the countless people who did not raise their voices.

Plot

At the Vienna Volksoper in early 1938, rehearsals are underway for the operetta *Gruß und Kuss in der Wachau* (Greetings and a Kiss in the Wachau) by composer Jara Beneš. Initially, many Jewish artists are involved in the production, including the librettist Fritz Löhner-Beda, who was later murdered in a concentration camp, and the conductor Kurt Herbert Adler, who fled to the USA.

Immediately before the annexation of Austria in March 1938, the Jewish singers, as well as the leading figures in the production, are increasingly subjected to pressure. At first, the latter do not take the changes entirely seriously, considering them temporary phenomena. Accusations and political discussions hampered rehearsals. After the National Socialists seized power, Jewish artists, such as the singer Hulda Gerin, and political dissidents are dismissed.

In the end, Hugo Wiener sits at the piano in his refuge in Bogotá, Colombia, and sings *Im Prater blühen wieder die Bäume* (The Trees Are Blooming Again in the Prater).