He never achieved his dream of becoming chancellor. At his rallies, Strauß is defamed by parts of the population as a Nazi and warmonger. Outwardly he pretends to be unmoved, but at home he breaks down crying. For the first time, Monika Hohlmeier tells of her father's pain at the furious attacks of his opponents. She and her brother Franz Georg Strauß give a deep and intimate insight into the soul life of their father, who in private was so very different from the public Strauß. The early private recordings also show a never-before-seen Strauß: a loving, attentive family man.

But family and career are thrown into crisis by an affair. The 53-year-old finance minister has fallen in love with a 17-year-old high school graduate and wants to start a new life with her. His party friends are horrified. For the first time Theo Waigel talks about how the CSU took the affair and what consequences a break-up with Marianne would have had for Strauß' career.

The documentary by Sebastian Dehnhardt and Manfred Oldenburg illuminates the politician's life from different perspectives and shows a side of Franz Joseph Strauß that has remained hidden from the public until now.

First broadcast: Tues., 7 October 2008, 8:15 p.m., ZDF.