In production Our Man in Cairo Since Abdel Fatah El-Sisi seized power, arbitrary arrest, torture and enforced disappearances have reached unprecedented levels in Egypt. The film investigates the most authoritarian regime in the Middle East. We… More
In production Refugees and German integration (AT) Around one million people came to Germany in 2015/2016. They have determined political debate like no other subject – and continue to do so today. But although they were still… More
In production Earth – Moon – Mars Filming for “Terra X: Earth – Moon – Mars” began in Russia’s “Star City” near Moscow. The ZDF documentary series accompanies astronaut Alexander Gerst on his second mission to the… More
Completed Superstructures of the North What visionary forces are behind a building that has existed for centuries? What stories do the superstructures of the north tell us about the people who built them, the times… More
Completed Erotic Perspectives Winckelmann Changes the World Winckelmann? Who? It’s 300 years ago that Johann Winckelmann was born in Saxony. With his erotic view of antiquity, he changed the appearance of the world and continues to be… More
Completed Markus Lanz – Russia! Conversations with pretty strange friends Russian-German relations have never been easy and in recent years they have cooled off even further – at least that’s what we’re led to believe. Sanctions and counter-sanctions, propaganda and… More
Completed 37 Degrees: Alternative Lifestyles On a houseboat, in a camper van or a tiny house – there are lots of unusual places where you can live. But who leads this kind of lifestyle and… More
Completed Karl Marx The German Prophet He once said of himself: I am not a Marxist. And yet Karl Marx achieved world fame as a pioneer of Communism and Socialism – albeit after his death. But… More
Completed Migration The Journey of Mankind – presented by Dirk Steffens Without migration, the world as we know it today would not exist. Because when people migrate, everything migrates with them: their knowledge, culture, religion. But also genes, animals, plants and… More
Completed 10 Facts About Christianity Who hasn’t asked themselves where the church actually comes from? Since when there’s been a pope in Rome? Who invented the cross as a symbol? Or why the God of… More
Completed Lesch’s Cosmos – Exercise Universalmedizin mit Nebenwirkung Sport can help us live longer and keep us mentally fit. Yet only around 14% of Germans get enough exercise. With unforeseeable consequences. On the one hand, fitness freaks go… More
Completed ZDF History: “Russia’s Crown” Russia’s tsars ruled over the biggest country in the world for more than 300 years. Their power was absolute, their wealth legendary and their downfall cruel. In the end, they… More
Completed The Treasures of Timbuktu When jihadists seized control of northern Mali in March 2012 and burned more than 4,000 priceless ancient manuscripts from the former university city of Timbuktu, several courageous people risked their… More
Completed The Mobility of Tomorrow In an age when rockets equipped with cars are sent into space, one thing is for sure: tomorrow’s mobility is full of crazy ideas – even down here on Earth.… More
Completed Forbidden Love in India For Indian couples wanting to marry against their parents’ will, the men of the Love Commando in New Delhi are their last hope. They offer shelter to elopers and have… More
Series Completed The Fix It Show! 3rd Series “The Fix It Show!” enters its third round! In ten new episodes, the experts concentrate once again on repairing treasured possessions. Grandpa’s old pocket watch that’s stopped ticking. The precious… More
Completed What if… The battle of Tours and Poitiers in 732 is considered a turning point in the history of Europe. Charles Martel prevented the Islamic advance into Western Europe and for many… More
Completed Special People, Special Moments 2017 In an annual review, well-known personalities such as Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, FDP chairman Christian Lindner, actor Elyas M’ Barek, and less prominent persons have the chance to talk… More
Completed Markus Lanz – The Unvarnished Truth About America After taking stock in the run-up to the 2016 presidential elections, Markus Lanz’s second America documentary asks how Americans are faring one year later. A roadtrip through the real America.… More
Series Completed On Days Like These! We love public holidays! And we love history! In “On Days Like These” we bring together both. On 31 October, we celebrate Reformation Day and Halloween. But a lot of… More
Series Completed The Europe Saga with Christopher Clark “Europe is not a place, it’s an idea,” concluded philosopher and journalist Bernhard-Henri Lévy. Strictly speaking, Europe is not a continent, it’s an appendage of Asia. In its 2500-year history,… More
Series Completed Either – Or In this fast-paced quiz show, presenter Ben gives his candidates only two possible answers and no time to ponder. Two contestants compete against each other in a duel and have… More
Completed PUR+: THE MYSTERIES OF MIGRATORY BIRDS Every year, 20 billion birds migrate to southern Europe. But why are so few blackbirds now joining them from Germany? PUR+ presenter Eric Mayer takes to the air with German… More
Series Completed Vote for me! Six politicians, six voters. One side is canvassing. The other side is voting. At the end, we find out whether or not the politicians were able to win over their… More
Completed MARKUS LANZ – CUBA! Talks With Fidel Castro's Heirs This journalistic journey takes Markus Lanz first to Havana and then across the rural Viñales to the secret capital of Cuba: Santiago de Cuba. He meets dockworkers, a German-Cuban woman… More
In production A case for Lesch and Steffens: The Wave Breakers How does a tsunami occur, and where is man most at risk? What can we do to protect ourselves against the forces of nature? Can waves be stopped? In search… More
Series Completed The Docu Quiz II Why are all gondolas in Venice black? How warm is the Earth’s interior? And: What do the three stripes on a sailor’s uniform stand for? These are just some of… More
Completed Lesch’s Cosmos – Digital Vote-Getters Meinungsmache im Netz We are online – constantly and all the time. When election campaigns are taking place, this is potentially dangerous – because online opinion-makers can infiltrate social networks and post information… More
Completed Europe and the Refugees On 4 September 2015, Angela Merkel made one of the most momentous decisions in her chancellorship: She opened the German border to refugees from Hungary. In doing so, she changed… More
Completed Maybrit Illner Special Viel Arbeit, wenig Geld – war die Agenda 2010 ein Fehler? “Viel Arbeit, wenig Geld – lohnt sich Leistung heute?“ fragt ein 75-minütiges “maybrit illner spezial” am Donnerstag, 27. April 2017, 22.15 Uhr, im ZDF. Engagierte Bürger diskutieren und streiten über… More
Completed Lesch’s Cosmos – The Future of Mobility The bigger the world population and the higher our standard of living, the more mobile we become. But existing infrastructure is not designed to cope with increased mobility. Roads and… More
Series In production The Fix It Show 2nd series “The Fix It Show” enters its second round! In ten new episodes, the experts concentrate once again on repairing treasured possessions that have passed their prime. Grandpa’s old pocket watch… More
Series Completed Oh, Europe On the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, we take a light-hearted but critical look at the history of Europe. The hard facts have already been… More
Completed Blood Trail – Far-Right Terrorism in Germany Their victims have the wrong religion, skin colour or political opinion: For decades, a network of far-right terrorists has been carrying out murders in Germany. “ZDF-History” pursues its trail of… More
Completed Nobody leaves for good A homage to life In this show, Markus Lanz pays tribute to numerous celebrities who passed away in 2016. Götz George, Bud Spencer, Muhammad Ali, Roger Willemsen, Umberto Eco, David Bowie, Hans-Dietrich Genscher and… More
Completed 50 Magic Moments in History Unique moments, emotional highlights, dramatic defeats, devastating catastrophes. Our past is defined by countless emotions and memories. Whether sport, cinema, science, politics, religion, or natural disasters – in this ranking… More
Completed The Empire of the White Monks Petra Gerster in search of the Cistercians This documentary is about the spectacular advancement of a religious order to business empire. For the glory of God, medieval Cistercian monks became early capitalist entrepreneurs. For almost four centuries,… More
Completed Special People, Special Moments 2016 In his traditional annual review, Markus Lanz takes stock of the most emotional highlights of 2016, presenting special moments experienced by both famous and lesser known heroes. Alongside athletes such… More
Completed Frontal21 Documentary – New Year’s Eve in Cologne Ever since New Year’s Eve 2015, we no longer associate Cologne merely with its Cathedral, carnival, Kölsch beer and conviviality. We inevitably also think of the mass assaults on women… More
Completed Markus Lanz – America in unfiltered form Markus Lanz travels to the USA to capture the mood of the population in the run-up to the presidential election. In personal conversations, he gets to know people from all… More
Series Completed Terra X – Great Peoples II The second Great Peoples series embarks once again on a journey in time to the origins of Europe. Three new episodes introduce civilisations that have significantly shaped the modern world… More
Completed The Magnificent 10 The Greatest Turning Points in German History We have chosen October 3rd, the day of German unification, as an occasion for a special episode in the documentary series The Magnificent 10. In The Greatest Turning Points in… More
Series Completed Magic Moments In Evolution With Dirk Steffens Evolution produced the elephant and the shrew. It invented bird migration, whale songs and hibernation. It concocted the venom of cobras and gave rise to viruses and bacteria. Mammoths and… More
Completed Lesch’s Cosmos: The transformation of the oceans A disaster in the making The ocean, a place of people’s dreams, is undergoing a process of change. It is our life support system, it provides us with oxygen and food. But how much longer… More
Completed Death in a mobile home How did the NSU terrorists really die? For years, the NSU killer trio carried out murders in towns all over Germany. When the terrorists were finally identified, Uwe Böhnhardt and Uwe Mundlos killed themselves, apparently aware of… More
Completed Giant of the North The history of the Port of Hamburg This is the story about one of the largest ports in the world, its people and their ideas. It is a story about merchants and their merchandise, emigrants and their… More
Series Completed The Power of Volcanoes Seen in relation to the length of a human life, volcanoes erupt very rarely. Only when we look at traces of such past disasters can we anticipate what may lie… More
Series Completed Terra X – The Celts The enacted sequences and CGI for this BBC/ZDF coproduction were produced by Gruppe 5. Vast battle scenes, the sacking of Rome by the Celts, the conquest of Gaul by Julius… More
Completed 37 Grad – Taking a Break from the Ratrace Recharge your batteries, take time out, try something new. Lots of people dream of doing this, but only a few employees actually have the courage to take a sabbatical, or… More
Series Completed The Magnificent 10 Series 2 The Magnificent 10 enters its second round! In traditionally casual and humorous style, the ranking show introduces a series of historically significant personalities, moments and places. We nominate fanatical eccentrics,… More
Series Completed “The fix-it show” with Eva Brenner What do you do when teddy’s fur’s all fuzzed up, your chest of drawers is rotten or a clock’s stopped ticking? Presenter Eva Brenner and her team fix whatever can… More
Completed Martin Luther Petra Gerster on the trail of the reformer Petra Gerster embarks on the trail of the epochal figure of Martin Luther. The impact he had on the world church is undisputed. But his work is also surrounded by… More
Completed Slumbering Giants The Power of Volcanoes Seen in relation to the length of a human life, volcanoes erupt very rarely. Only when we look at traces of such past disasters we can anticipate what may lie… More
Completed Maybrit Illner Special The controversial issue of refugees – three elections, one subject Prior to the regional elections in the German states of Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate und Saxony-Anhalt on March 13, 2016, the refugee problem placed a heavy burden not only on authorities and… More
Series Completed Women and Oceans The world’s five oceans each has a different colour. They feel different. And smell different. In remote and dangerous parts of the oceans, outstanding women scientists struggle to win a… More
Series Completed Terra X – Rome on the Rhine “Tear down the walls – kill all Romans.” Many Germanic tribes did not consider rebelling against the Roman rule in the Rhineland region. After all, they benefited from Roman civilisation.… More
Completed Moments in history With 100 short special event and explanatory films, we look back at the era of the Germanic peoples. A historic foray into 2000 years of German history. The films take… More
Completed Lesch’s Cosmos – Burnout: Hysteria or epidemic? The burnout syndrome seems to have become almost as widespread as an epidemic. Millions of Germans feel drained, exhausted and unmotivated. But what actually is burnout? Officially, the condition is… More
Completed Manganese nodules from the ocean floor Gold rush in the Pacific It served as a cover story for the most expensive and spectacular CIA operation of all times. It offers hope to people who once had everything – but then lost… More
Series Completed Terra X – Mankind and his Superhuman Powers II In the second series, more super-talented individuals demonstrate their extraordinary sensory and intellectual capabilities. People with incredible physical abilities fly like birds, ride 20-metre-high waves, live to be as old… More
Series Completed The Docu Quiz Why, in the Middle Ages, was “alles in Butter” (a German phrase literally meaning “everything in butter”)? A question probably only a specialist can answer. But we ask people on… More
Completed Theme evening with Maybrit Illner "Hospitals in a state of emergency?" German hospitals are among the best in the world. But how good are they really? The quality of the services they offer differ significantly, patients often feel they are at… More
Series Completed The History of the Southwest The German states of Baden-Württemberg, Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate still show signs of their turbulent past even today. The TV series “The History of the Southwest” presents their history for the… More
Completed Theme evening with Maybrit Illner "Are we a people?" On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of unification, ZDF presenter Maybrit Illner and Lutz van der Horst investigate present-day German reality, combining analytical assessments and reviews with a dash… More
Completed Lesch’s Cosmos – Bon appétit! The power of manipulation Who decides what ends up on our plates? Scientists uncover factors that play an important part in what we eat. Apparently, we don’t always recognise the signals our bodies send… More
Completed 37° – Circus: the final opportunity Over a period of three years, we accompanied Adam with our camera. Our film documents the impressive personal development of a supposedly untalented boy – from problematic youth to state-certified… More
Completed Best Pupil to Bavarian Premier: Franz Josef Strauß Ever since he served as defence minister, Franz Josef Strauß divided and polarised society in the Federal Republic of Germany. Some saw him as Bavaria’s saviour and protector against aggressive… More
Completed Black Sea and white nights The myth of eastern Europe. What moves people in this part of the world? Matthias Fornoff, his team and ZDF correspondents take a look at moods and developments in the… More
Completed Lesch’s Cosmos – Big data What measuring the world can tell us The Earth is rebelling: extreme weather events are on the increase, more and more people throughout the world are suffering from the consequences. In future, Germany will also have to… More
Series Completed Terra X – Germany’s cities with Harald Lesch We only have to look at a map to see how densely populated Germany is. No country in Europe has so many cities. What makes cities so fascinating – and… More
Completed Terra X – A case for Lesch and Steffens The weather makers Household names in Germany, Harald Lesch has been explaining the universe and important and trivial aspects of life to us for years, while intrepid explorer Dirk Steffens travels the world… More
Completed The Myth of Byzantium Petra Gerster in search of an empire It is the story of an empire of superlatives: the legendary city of Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. For one thousand years, the Christian city of Byzantium symbolised… More
Series Completed Terra X – The history of food Fear of the potato, stuffed swan with flamingo, coffee police and soup in a fur pot: the history of food is rich in anecdotes, the most bizarre stories and fascinating… More
Completed Vietnam War The war in Vietnam was one of the bloodiest and most cruel wars in history. Million Vietnamese were killed; most of its victims were civilians. A war known for indiscriminate… More
Series Completed The Magnificent 10 The greatest losers, posers, construction disasters – history told from a very different perspective. The new zdf_neo series takes an unusual look at world history and subjectively ranks all kinds… More
Completed The Jesus Mystery – Petra Gerster in search of the Holy Land This is the story of a man who really did exist: a devout Jew by the name of Jesus of Nazareth. He spent a year working and preaching at the… More
Series Completed Terra X – Mankind and his superhuman powers From physical superheroes to intellectual geniuses Herbert Nitsch from Austria is the most successful freediver of all times. He has broken 31 world records, and nobody can hold their breath… More
Completed Lesch’s Cosmos – Natural gas and the struggle for power: How secure are our supplies? In the past, gas was like water – we turned the tap and gas flowed out. It didn’t interest us where it came from. But since the Ukraine crisis, we… More
Series Completed HUNGER! & THIRST! If we did everything right, no child on planet Earth would have to die of hunger or thirst. Not really. So why does this still happen? This two-part documentary looks… More
Series Completed Terra X – Alexander the Great He is considered the model of the world ruler: no superlative suffices to adequately describe the Macedonian king’s charismatic personality, his military skills or his vision of a peaceful, multicultural… More
Series Completed Planet Germany 300 million years This film is an adventurous and awe-inspiring exploration of Germany – today, yesterday and in our very distant past. It describes the dramatic evolution of the country from the Carboniferous… More
Completed 37° Fight Johnny, fight! A year-long struggle for survival This long-term observation tells the remarkable story of a determined young man’s struggle for survival. His personal philosophy: “You have to fight, it’s not over yet”. Johnny is a sportsman… More
Completed Terra X – The spark of ingenuity The history of fireworks They scared off Mongols, impressed kings and turned a few individuals into heroes: fireworks. Their century-old career began as a weapon of war, but the higher and louder and more… More
Completed Terra X – Wild planet when the Earth runs riot Earthquakes, volcanoes and storms: since time immemorial, our planet has been at the mercy of these natural phenomena. They destroy, kill, annihilate. But they also give life, they create new… More
Series Completed Terra X – The World of the Knights The knight: half human, half legend. Minnesang and chivalric novels have left us with a sublime impression of the “noble knight”. But what were knights really like? This series tells… More
Completed The Trial of Jesus of Nazareth – Checking facts with Petra Gerster It is the dramatic end of a unique life. In April, A.D. 30, the itinerant preacher Jesus of Nazareth arrived in Jerusalem. Upon entry into the city, he was immediately… More
Series Completed Terra X – Great Nations A journey through time to Europe’s roots with comic elements Democracy, laws, science, literature, theatre, the Olympic Games, water supply, road networks, long-distance trade, transoceanic crossings, globalisation – the list… More
Series Completed Friends or Foes? The Germans and the French Few relationships between two nations have been so fraught with tension, so complex as that of the French and the Germans. In the last 200 years alone, they have waged… More
Series Completed Women Who Made History For centuries, women influenced politics only behind the scenes, sometimes they were the driving force behind supposedly powerful rulers. This series of films is about female stereotypes, women’s roles, women’s… More
Series Completed Journey of Discovery What kind of a world would we live in if there were no discoveries, new knowledge, no curiosity? What kind of world would it be without scientists constantly endeavouring to… More
Completed The Legacy of the First Christians Petra Gerster in search of the early Christian community Petra Gerster searches for signs of the early Christian community, the zero hour of Christianity. In Turkey, in historical Asia Minor, she visits places where the first communities established themselves… More
Series Completed Terra X – Wild Planet When the Earth runs riot At any moment in time, somewhere in the world a volcano can erupt, the Earth can move, or a devastating storm can rage. This often occurs without warning, and we… More
Completed Konrad Adenauer “Why should I care about what I said yesterday” Konrad Adenauer, first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Born January 5th, 1876, expelled by the Nazis and later on… More
Series Completed Holy War At the latest since September 11th, 2001, the armed struggle in the name of Allah has become a serious threat to the West, where many peoples share the view that… More
Series Completed The Germans II The second season of the series “Die Deutschen” (The Germans) again covers a thousand years of German history, starting with Charlemagne in the early Middle Ages and reaching to the… More
Completed Universe of the Oceans with Frank Schätzing A journey through past, present, and future of the oceans. How did life in the oceans originate billions of years ago? And how could the immense diversity of animals and… More
Series Completed Terra X – America before Columbus This is the tale of two continents, before they knew each other. Europe is small and crowded, and lacks resources, while America is vast – people have space, and live… More
Series Completed Cape of Storm Land of Hope More than 500 years ago, the first Europeans entered the southern tip of the African continent. They found a Garden of Eden and called it the “Cape of Good Hope“.… More
Series Completed Terra X – Superstructures with Sebastian Koch They shape the face of cities and landscapes and stand for genius, madness, and pride of their owners. They bear the traces of history and have written history. Designs that… More
Completed In excellent constitution – 60 Years of Basic Law 60 years ago, on May 23rd, 1949, the fundamental law of the new Federal Republic of Germany was signed in a solemn ceremony of the Parliamentary Council in Bonn. For… More
Series Completed Arminius – Enemy of Rome Arminius – born as the son of a Cheruscan, abducted as a pawn of the Romans, and raised as a soldier, returns to subdued Germania under Emperor Augustus. He makes… More
Series Completed The Germans The primetime ten-part documentary about German history spans the period from Otto the Great in the 10th century to the proclamation of the First Republic by Philipp Scheidemann in November… More
Completed The Gate of the Dragon Chinas langer Aufbruch The century of China has begun. But how has this grand empire called Middle Kingdom become what it is today? The Gate of the Dragon – the Long Rise of… More
Series Completed China’s Forbidden City In the heart of Beijing lies the largest palace in the world, the Forbidden City. For 500 years, it is the home of the almighty Emperors of China, who live… More
Series Completed Supercomet – After the Impact 65 Million years ago, an asteroid hit planet Earth, destroying 75 percent of all species and ending the reign of the dinosaurs. Such an event can occur at any time… More
Series Completed The Jews – A People’s History The documentary series „The Jews – A People’s History” undertakes a quest into more than 3,000 years of Jewish history: tracking back to the beginning of Jews as an independent… More
Series Completed The Germanic Tribes “Through its forests terrible, through its marshes horrible”, thus characterizes the Roman historian Tacitus “Germania”, the area incognita beyond the Rhine. The natives there, the Germanic Tribes, were not in… More
Series Completed China’s Great Wall “You’re not a real man if you’ve not got to the Great Wall“, Great Chairman Mao once said. For more than 2,000 years, the Emperors of China tried to protect… More
Series Completed Update 2057 – The World in 50 Years Robots can reproduce while human beings clamor to be cloned. Overhead automobiles whirr through the air. It’s the stuff of far-out science fiction romance novels, but low and behold, tomorrow… More
Completed Secrets of the First Emperor Das Geheimnis des Ersten Kaisers He conquered “All under Heaven” and gave it his name: Qin Shihuangdi, the First Emperor of China. His most splendid legacy is the Terracotta Army. The film shows the history… More
Completed Dragons of the Sea: China’s Forgotten Fleet In 1405, a gigantic fleet weighs its anchors in the Nanjing harbour. 200 ships and a crew of 27,000 men, under the supreme command of imperial Admiral Zheng He, embark… More
Series Completed Wild East The Wartburg Castle and the Spree Forest! Two spectacular cultural landscapes in Eastern Germany are shown from their most beautiful and mysterious side: first class natural history footage combined with… More
Series Completed Ways out of Darkness Europe in the Middle Ages This four part documentary sheds new light on the ”dark age” of European history. It tells of the scientific, technical and cultural achievements of the Middle Ages which paved the… More
Series Completed Storm over Europe The Wandering Tribes This documentary deals with the mass migration of Germanic tribes at the very beginning of European history, while Ancient Rome raced towards inevitable collapse and a new political centre developed… More
Series Completed Dead Men Telling Tales The History of Forensic Medicine They are the victims’ advocates, deliver the guilty to justice and relieve the burden of accusation from the innocent. For 700 years, forensic medical experts, armed with bone saw and… More
Series Completed Fabulous Animals Wildlife Meets Myth Unicorns, dragons, giant octopuses – tales of fabulous, magical animals are part of the cultural heritage of peoples throughout the world. But is it all just legend? Many of these… More
Series Completed The American Journey of Alexander von Humboldt In 1799, Alexander von Humboldt and the French physician and botanist Aimé Bonpland set out on a research expedition through Central and South America. The first Europeans to journey into… More
Series Completed Dolphin Stories Mysteries and Legends Dolphins are known to be highly developed creatures from whom we can learn a lot. Throughout history, human beings have tried to unlock the secrets of the dolphins’ superior intelligence.… More
