Katharina is a 19-year-old typesetter at a state publishing firm who dreams of becoming a graphic artist. Having grown up entirely within the borders of East Germany, she views the world with curiosity and a desire for independence. She is highly impressionable and eager to absorb the cultural and historical knowledge offered by her older partner.

Hans is a 50-year-old novelist and freelance radio scriptwriter who frequently references music history and literature. Having grown up during World War II, he deliberately moved to East Germany to rebel against his father's fascist beliefs. He is highly intellectual and controlling, preferring to dictate the terms of his romantic affairs while maintaining his established family life.

Ingrid is Hans's wife and the mother of their teenage son, Ludwig. She manages the practical, day-to-day operations of the household and provides stability for her husband. She tolerates his frequent absences but actively asserts her boundaries when confronted with evidence of his infidelity.

Rosa is a sensitive art school student who becomes a close companion to Katharina. She pays close attention to the emotions of those around her and offers a perspective on relationships that values mutual compatibility over total possession.

Vadim is a young assistant stage designer living in Frankfurt. He offers attention and local companionship to new interns, providing a striking contrast to older, more established figures in the art world.

Ludwig is the teenage son of Hans and Ingrid. He is close in age to the younger women his father pursues and frequently displays annoyance at his father's attempts to deliver historical and political lectures at home.

Erika is Katharina's mother, sharing an East Berlin apartment with her daughter and second husband, Ralph. She maintains a watchful eye over her daughter's social life and quickly voices warnings about the dangers of dating married men.

Katharina's biological father lives in Leipzig following his separation from Erika. He takes a strictly materialist view of history and art, occasionally traveling to visit his daughter and view exhibitions together.

Robert is a local sculptor and part of the younger generation of East German artists. He shares his peers' changing attitudes toward the government and provides a social anchor for his colleagues during times of political unrest.

Emmi is Katharina's grandmother, who relocates to a basement apartment in Cologne to be closer to her daughter. She meticulously decorates her new Western home to match her former East Berlin apartment and freely shares cynical truths about her past marriage.

Annie is Katharina's aunt, who became permanently separated from her East German family in 1961 when the Berlin Wall was built during a brief visit to her fiancé. She now lives a comfortably established life in West Germany.

Katrin is Katharina's cousin, employed at a bank in West Germany. She holds a highly pragmatic, capitalist worldview, which she attempts to pass on to her visiting East German relative.

Sibylle is an East Berlin peer of Katharina who openly voices her disapproval regarding age-gap relationships. She is opinionated and actively involved in the shifting social currents of the city.

Christina is Katharina's childhood best friend. Though they were separated by school transfers, they briefly reunite to travel, sleep in makeshift accommodations, and share personal secrets.