The Captain from Koepenick

A young shoemaker is arrested for stealing a small amount of money, and is released after being jailed for 15 years. He wants to have a pass to get a job and start anew, but without a job he doesn't get a pass; and without a pass, he doesn't get a job. He gets caught in the net of Prussian bureaucracy, and can't see a solution. Until he enters a small second-hand shop, and sees a Prussian uniform that fits him like a second skin.