The criminal genius Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) is in a mental hospital. There, like a madman, he continuously plots murder and terror. His legacy is a will to guide crimes. By means of telepathic abilities, he manipulates the people around him and causes fear and terror beyond his death. Inspector Lohmann (Otto Wernicke) is faced with a mystery. Who is passing on Dr. Mabuse's instructions? Can he still stop the planned establishment of a "reign of crime"? Fritz Lang laid the foundation for today's genre of crime and mystery films with The Testament of Dr. Mabuse. The film was banned by the National Socialists even before its premiere in 1933. The restoration of the film by the Deutsche Kinemathek came about in preparation for the major retrospective of Fritz Lang's films for the Berlin International Film Festival in 2001.