Best German documentary series

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.

After Birgit Meier vanishes in 1989, police missteps plague the case for years. But her brother never wavers in his tireless quest to find the truth.

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.

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.

In 2012, a string of grisly murders sent shock waves through the Berlin party scene. The killer remained at large — until one of his targets survived.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Tempting fate, fearless hosts Wigald Boning and Bernhard Hoecker ignore warnings and restrictions on various items to see what happens when they do.

The German national football team wants to be the world’s best once again at the World Cup in Qatar. After being eliminated in the preliminary round of the 2018 World Cup and in the last 16 at the 2021 European Championship, the former world champions want another title. But again their journey ends in the preliminary round. Exclusive behind-the-scenes insights show their dramatic failure.

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.

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.

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 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.

Using extensive research, this five-part docuseries takes a comprehensive look at Francisco Franco's turbulent, decades-long regime.

Every night, the Mainz police teams go out into the unknown - to help, calm down, de-escalate, make arrests or take a close look at crimes and deaths. They often expect unusual missions. The SWR documentary series provides an exclusive and unadulterated insight into the demanding work of the Mainz police. It shows the police officers behind the uniform.

Joko Winterscheidt takes on one of humanity's biggest challenges: the climate crisis. Joko reaches his limits on this journey, driven to despair by the state of the world. But he also meets people who are fighting for a better, more sustainable world and who give Joko hope.

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.

Jan Ullrich travels to the most important places in his life, openly discussing his life's journey, his successes and downfalls.

Extra 3 is a political satirical magazine from Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR).

Kim Frank tells the story of his band "Echt" ("Du trägst keine Liebe in dir", "Weinst du", "Junimond"). From over 240 hours of private recordings, he shows the five friends growing up as pop stars at the end of the 90s. An intimate coming-of-age trilogy.

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

Afghanistan is at a crossroads between traditions and a contemporary lifestyle.

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

Across five episodes, this docuseries follows Germany’s top referees - Deniz Aytekin, Daniel Siebert, and more - through the 2022/23 season. From their Herzogenaurach training camp and the “Nagelsmann case” to Wolfsburg’s women’s record win and the DFB-Pokal final, viewers gain unprecedented access to on-field calls, Video Assistant exchanges from the “Köln Keller,” and the mental toll of public scrutiny.

The four-part investigative doc-series "Juan Carlos: Downfall of The King" charts the rise and fall of the former Spanish King Juan Carlos I from his enthronement to the present day, accompanied by affairs, greed for money, accusations of corruption and abuse of power on an unimaginable scale.

The documentary series offers a captivating insight into the world of mountain rescue and shows the diverse challenges the rescuers face, what they achieve, what they experience, and what they feel. Despite their beauty, the Bavarian Alps also harbor numerous dangers, for example, when tour planning is poor, one's own abilities are overestimated, or the natural surroundings are underestimated: Steep slopes, unstable weather conditions, avalanches, and unpredictable natural events make mountaineering and hiking ventures with a risk that should not be underestimated.

For many decades, archaeological excavations and scientific expeditions throughout the entire region have been attempting to solve the mystery of what held the Empire by the Nile together for so long. The four-part series Planet Egypt delves deep into crucial periods in the history of the Pharaohs. The documentary depicts the founding of the Empire under King Narmer, the rise of Egypt to a world power under Thutmose III, the revolution during the reign of Akhenaten and the enormous surge in construction activity under Pharaoh Ramses the Great. By means of dramatic re-enactments and lavish computer animations, Terra-X resurrects the world of Ancient Egypt. Entire cities such as Hierakonpolis, Thebes and Amarna are reconstructed in 3-D animations and brought back to life. Each episode sheds light on one of the vital foundation stones at the base of this extraordinary civilisation.

Winning the Tour de France in 1997 made Jan Ullrich a star. But soon after, the downfall of road cycling's biggest talent begins. The five-part documentary series follows the stages of his life and his career.

Explore the most startling disappearances of the modern era, looking at what we know happened that fateful day, what the theories behind their vanishing are – and what science can tell us about what really happened.

"For heaven's sake" is a German television series. The protagonists are Kaltenthal mayor Wolfgang Woller, who wants to turn the town's convent into a modern convention centre and drive the nuns out, Sister Lotte (Jutta Speidel) and the other nuns, who fight to save the old monastery.

The two-part documentary Crime in Post-War Germany shows how strained life was between 1945 and 1949 in the four occupied zones. Using the example of individual, particularly serious criminal cases, like in Dresden where a wood collector comes across the severed legs of a person or in Hamburg, where the so-called rubble murders terrify the whole city.

Namibia is a country of contrasts, from the arid savannahs to flowing rivers and rugged coastlines. This documentary explores the natural wonders of the country in southern Africa. Despite the dry and barren habitat, the Kalahari Desert in the east is home to a range of rare and fascinating creatures. Animals must be resourceful and clever to survive in the world’s oldest desert and one of the driest places on Earth, the Namib.

Follow Michael Fassbender's journey from novice racer to Le Mans competitor.

BIWAK shows exciting adventure reports. Presenter Thorsten Kutschke takes you along on his adventure trips. Those who like to be active in nature will get the best suggestions.

Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst is a German television programme broadcast since October 1967 on ZDF that aims to combat and solve crimes. Until 2003 it was produced in co-operation with the Austrian public service broadcaster ORF and Schweizer Fernsehen, a division of the Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR idée suisse. It was the basis for the BBC show Crimewatch, the Dutch show Opsporing Verzocht and its US equivalent America's Most Wanted.

Around 5000 years ago, one of the largest and most powerful empires in history emerged on the Nile – Ancient Egypt. This mysterious era continues to fascinate us. In eight episodes, this series shows the unique achievements of the ancient Egyptians in government, culture, and society. International scientists and researchers decode the facets of this advanced civilisation.The first territorial state in history was founded more than 3000 years ago – making it older than any nation in existence today. Crises keep dividing the region and causing chaos, and it is these phases that the people on the Nile fear the most. They know that only order and stability can lead to prosperity. Egyptians are given a sense of identity and unity by their diverse cultures.

A look at Hitler's rise to power and how he sold his dreams for the future to the German people.

2018: How do you save the SPD, Germany's oldest party, from complete irrelevance? He thinks he knows: Kevin Kühnert, 29 years young, chairman of the Jusos. He is convinced that the SPD must move to the left.