A small Polish town, occupied by the Nazi army during World War II, may be wiped off the face of the earth. To save the city's inhabitants, a young doctor, Jan Szukalski, decides to stage a typhus epidemic in order to force the Nazis to withdraw their troops. At the cost of incredible efforts, he manages to do this. Perseverance and courage, love and self-sacrifice help the heroes overcome the horrors of war and resist death...