Best German documentary series

Terra X (1982)

On various topics such as history, nature, wildlife, archeology, science and also fiction.

Till Murder Do Us Part: Soering vs. Haysom (2023)

Did Jens Soering murder his girlfriend's parents in 1985 — or was she the killer? This docuseries digs into questions that still swirl around the case.

7 vs. Wild (2021)

Abandoned in the swedish wilderness seven candidates struggle to survive for seven days. Everybody has to get along with seven previously selected items and the clothes they are wearing. Who remains after seven days and collected the most points in the challenges of the day wins. No camera crew, no contact to the outer world, complete isolation.

Unser Hof - Mit Cheyenne und Nino (2023)

A Perfect Crime (2020)

In April 1991, Detlev Rohwedder, the head of Treuhand, the East German Privatization and Restructuring Agency, was assassinated in Dusseldorf. This documentary details the strange evidence recovered.

Einmal Camping, immer Camping (2014)

Fire & Flame – With firefighters on duty (2017)

This documentary series follows emergency services from various fire stations in the Ruhr area up close and portrays the people in their grueling everyday working life.

The Cuba Libre Story (2015)

Recounts the tumultuous history of Cuba, a nation of foreign conquest, freedom fighters and Cold War political machinations.

Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell (2013)

Kurzgesagt (German for "in a nutshell") is a Munich based design studio with a distinctive perspective on design and animation within the fields of education, science and commerce. Founded in 2012 by Philipp Dettmer & Stephan Rether, the studio engages in information design projects of all kinds. We love science, minimalism, colors and music. But most of all combining them to tell stories.

Stalingrad (2003)

The Battle of Stalingrad, which cost the lives of at least a million German soldiers, Red Army troops and Soviet civilians, was the bloodiest of the decisive battles in the "war of extermination" which Hitler had unleashed. This three-part documentary, employing previously unreleased film footage and brutally frank statements from survivors on both sides, explains exactly how the catastrophe came about and describes the gruesome consequences of the battle for the soldiers and the inhabitants of the city.

The Houseboat (2021)

With plenty of passion and little know-how, two musicians undertake a daunting project: turn a late singer's houseboat into a creative musical space.

Sea Power (2020)

This documentary series delves into the battleships, submarines and aircraft carriers that have changed the history of modern warfare.

FC Bayern - Behind the Legend (2021)

For the first time in their history, FC Bayern Munich gives us unfettered access to the locker room and behind the scenes at this top club. The 6-part documentary covers the turbulent season after their Champions League triumph in Lisbon, celebrates the legendary victories from the past, and links momentous events in Bayern's history to the current team.

A Sinister Sect: Colonia Dignidad (2021)

A colony of German Christians with a charismatic and manipulative leader establishes itself in Chile and becomes instrumental to the dictatorship.

The Abyss – Rise and Fall of the Nazis (2021)

Explores the Third Reich from a contemporary perspective to investigate how the Nazis managed to conquer Germany and then half of Europe in the wake of World War I.

Mensch Retter – Jede Sekunde zählt (2021)

Inside Borussia Dortmund (2019)

In this 4-part docu-series, go behind-the-scenes with one of the Bundesliga’s biggest clubs and re-live the thrilling 2018/19 football season from the team’s point of view. Discover their training facilities, experience the locker room drama first-hand, and become acquainted with the players’ personal lives.

Doomsday: World War I (2012)

The First World War - carnage on a scale never-before seen. But how did it all start? And how did some key figures of WWII fare in the earlier war?

Magical Andes (2019)

Hitler's Power (2023)

Mao (2024)

The People’s Republic of China now plays a central role in global politics, economics and diplomacy – more than it ever has before. Its president, Xi Jinping openly espouses the model forged by former Chairman, Mao Zedong, known as the Great Helmsman. But what do we really know about Mao? And how does his legacy relate to Xi’s ‘China Dream’? This 3-part documentary series explores Mao Zedong, his beliefs and his methods. It shows how these have shaped Xi’s philosophy and the reality of today’s China. Mao had set China on the road to true sovereignty, freeing it from the humiliation of foreign domination. Xi is now completing that journey towards the strong Middle Kingdom and cultural predominance that Mao aimed for – while sweeping under the carpet the unthinkable victims and costs of Mao’s rule. The story arc of Mao’s astonishing biography provides varied and profound insights into the ideals, strategies and ambitions of today’s People’s Republic and its position in the next decade.

alpha-Centauri (1998)

WWII's Most Daring Raids (2016)

They were U.S. paratroopers, Norwegian operatives, and British Commandos, Allied teams leading high-risk operations throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia to fight Hitler and turn the tide of the war. WWII's Most Daring Raids puts you in the heart of the action, giving you a minute-by-minute account of the most astonishing surprise attacks against the Third Reich. We forensically examine how exactly these assaults played out, through expert analysis and testimonies from the brave men who carried them out.

Wild Russia (2008)

Through unprecedented access we showcase the spectacle that is Wild Russia. From east to west, via mountains, volcanoes, deserts, lakes and Arctic ice, this breathtaking six-part series uses stunning cinematography to chart the dazzling natural wonders of this vast country.

Unter Deutschen - Zwangsarbeit im NS-Staat (2023)

Die Deutschen (2008)

Die Deutschen is a German television documentary produced for ZDF that first aired from October to November 2008. Each episode recounts a selected epoch of German history, beginning with the reign of Otto the Great and ending with the collapse of the German Empire at the end of the First World War. In November 2010 the second season of Die Deutschen was published in German television, beginning with Charlemagne, the Frankish King, and ending with Gustav Stresemann, the Chancellor and Foreign Minister during the Weimar Republic.Historical events are recreated through a combination of live action scenes and computer generated animations. The series was filmed at over 200 different locations in Germany, Malta, and Romania at a cost of approximately €500,000 per episode.

Generation Wembley (2023)

The six-part series outlines the journey to the first treble in the club's history in 2013 and in fact begins in the years before, when the team and the entire club steadily developed through ups and downs. Players, coaches and decision-makers from back then tell how they experienced everything that moved them and what it means to them, even with the distance of a whole decade, to be part of this history and of FC Bayern.

The Hitler Chronicles (2018)

The person Adolf Hitler shaped the 20th century like no other. This series documents the Hitler's life using unpublished material.

FC Hollywood - Der FC Bayern und die verrückten 90er (2025)

The focus is on the years 1996 to 2001, into which the likes of Lothar Matthäus, Jürgen Klinsmann, Mario Basler and Stefan Effenberg provide insights on how a group of individualists became a team that laid the foundation for FC Bayern's current success.

History of Weapons (2018)