Kay Siering

The Lost Album of the SS

In 2016, an album containing 250 previously unseen photos of Nazi officials was discovered in the USA by Stephan Hördler, a prominent Holocaust historian, who immediately understood the album's inestimable value. The album brings together photographs of a "group of friends," all from the same region of Germany, all of whom became SS men. From 1928 to 1943, the photo album allows us to follow their journey. Hördler conducted the investigation, comparing the photos in the album with other, better-known ones, the faces of these men with those of concentration camp officials, and ultimately revealed that it was at Lichtencburg that these young men were trained, a "school" for future camp executioners, and the bonds of camaraderie and informal network that would allow them to help each other, even after the war.

Der Ölschock von 1973 - Autofreie Sonntage

On November 25, 1973, the first of four car-free Sundays transformed West Germany's deserted highways into spaces for walking, cycling, and horse-drawn carriages, while towns and cities took on a festive atmosphere. Introduced during the oil crisis to conserve fuel after the Arab oil embargo and production cuts following the Yom Kippur War, the measure became an unforgettable collective experience. Beyond the immediate energy shortage, the crisis marked a turning point, ending the postwar economic boom and encouraging greater awareness of energy use, consumerism, and environmental issues.

Battlefield Behemoths: A History of the Tank – The World Wars.

Filmed just over a century after the first tank battle in 1918, this documentary series explores how the vehicles forever changed warfare.

Abenteuer Äquator

People have always been fascinated by the tropics. Explorers from Europe were among the first to travel to the equatorial region centuries ago. Modern scientists are continuing what began with these pioneers. The documentary traces the historical exploration of the paradise belt at latitude 0 and looks at modern research at the equator.

Abenteuer Alaska

The Olympic Dream: 1936 Nazi Games

Leni Riefenstahl's flamboyant Nazi aesthetics shaped the public image of the 1936 Olympics. Never before had sports and politics been mixed. Through archive photos and reconstructions, we get a closer look into the historical propaganda show.

In the Grip of Gazprom

The war in the Ukraine has changed the way many European countries view Russian politics. Suddenly it became clear how dependent countries had become on Russian gas imports for decades and what Vladimir Putin was up to. However, no country needs more gas than Germany. It was only after Russia's invasion of the Ukraine that the German government realized that Russia had long used gas as a weapon to impose its will on states. The instrument created for this purpose is the natural gas production company GAZPROM. So how did Germany become so dependent on Russian gas? The documentary shows how, over several decades and several changes of government, a broad alliance of politicians and business representatives did everything possible to secure Germany's energy supply with cheap Russian gas, while the Kremlin's foreign policy became increasingly aggressive and the warnings of experts went unheeded.

Globalisierung - Wie Krisen unsere Welt verändern

The Lost Album of the SS

In 2016, an album containing 250 previously unseen photos of Nazi officials was discovered in the USA by Stephan Hördler, a prominent Holocaust historian, who immediately understood the album's inestimable value. The album brings together photographs of a "group of friends," all from the same region of Germany, all of whom became SS men. From 1928 to 1943, the photo album allows us to follow their journey. Hördler conducted the investigation, comparing the photos in the album with other, better-known ones, the faces of these men with those of concentration camp officials, and ultimately revealed that it was at Lichtencburg that these young men were trained, a "school" for future camp executioners, and the bonds of camaraderie and informal network that would allow them to help each other, even after the war.

Der Ölschock von 1973 - Autofreie Sonntage

On November 25, 1973, the first of four car-free Sundays transformed West Germany's deserted highways into spaces for walking, cycling, and horse-drawn carriages, while towns and cities took on a festive atmosphere. Introduced during the oil crisis to conserve fuel after the Arab oil embargo and production cuts following the Yom Kippur War, the measure became an unforgettable collective experience. Beyond the immediate energy shortage, the crisis marked a turning point, ending the postwar economic boom and encouraging greater awareness of energy use, consumerism, and environmental issues.

Battlefield Behemoths: A History of the Tank – The World Wars.

Filmed just over a century after the first tank battle in 1918, this documentary series explores how the vehicles forever changed warfare.

Abenteuer Äquator

People have always been fascinated by the tropics. Explorers from Europe were among the first to travel to the equatorial region centuries ago. Modern scientists are continuing what began with these pioneers. The documentary traces the historical exploration of the paradise belt at latitude 0 and looks at modern research at the equator.

Abenteuer Alaska

The Olympic Dream: 1936 Nazi Games

Leni Riefenstahl's flamboyant Nazi aesthetics shaped the public image of the 1936 Olympics. Never before had sports and politics been mixed. Through archive photos and reconstructions, we get a closer look into the historical propaganda show.

In the Grip of Gazprom

The war in the Ukraine has changed the way many European countries view Russian politics. Suddenly it became clear how dependent countries had become on Russian gas imports for decades and what Vladimir Putin was up to. However, no country needs more gas than Germany. It was only after Russia's invasion of the Ukraine that the German government realized that Russia had long used gas as a weapon to impose its will on states. The instrument created for this purpose is the natural gas production company GAZPROM. So how did Germany become so dependent on Russian gas? The documentary shows how, over several decades and several changes of government, a broad alliance of politicians and business representatives did everything possible to secure Germany's energy supply with cheap Russian gas, while the Kremlin's foreign policy became increasingly aggressive and the warnings of experts went unheeded.

Globalisierung - Wie Krisen unsere Welt verändern

Demokratie unter Druck – Europa vor der Wahl

Thoughts of a diversity of public and private citizens on the virtues of democracy, its faults, its decadence, its fall and the rise of populism.

24 h D-Day

D-Day marks the starting point for the liberation of Western Europe from the grip of the Nazi yoke. On June 6th, 1944, Allied soldiers attack German positions at no less than five sectors of the beach in Normandy. The assault takes place from the sea and is considered the largest amphibious landing operation in history. This event now sees its 80th anniversary. But so close, so authentic, this battle has never been shown before. American and British cameramen are at the scene in landing boats, under fire at the beaches, and during the rescue of wounded soldiers. Their original footage, shot in black-and-white, was extensively restored and colourized for this documentary. The historically unique footage appears in motion picture quality. The war gets colour. And thereby a different impact. We look directly in the faces of those, Americans, Canadians, Britons, and Germans, who are often not older than 20. In “24h D-Day”, they tell about their D-Day, the day they never can forget.

Operation Mondlandung - Die NASA und die Ex-Nazis

The spectacular moon landing in 1969 was also a success of more than 100 technicians and engineers from Germany, some of whom had already revolutionized weapons technology and built rockets in Hitler's service during World War II. The documentary analyzes the entanglements of German NASA employees with the Third Reich.

Surveyors of the Earth

If, at first, human being used stars to find its bearings, mankind can nowadays count on science to measure the Earth at a millimetric scale. Because land surveying of our planet is still in full swing. Satellites, cameras or drones : technology progress allows the scientists to explore it all. They can measure oceans, volcanoes, or even the atmosphere. But scientists are walking a tightrope, torned between their desire to gather more and more informations, and a population concerned about personal data's protection. This documentary shows a glimpse of actual scientifical research, and interrogate numerous scientists about the interest of land surveying in their specific field of research.

Naked: Sex and Gender

Film about the gender binary. What is it, how does it manifest itself in our minds and our lives - and how can we go beyond? Just how different are “men” and “women?” Are they even two distinct groups? This film follows individuals and communities, experts and artists around the globe who right now are radically and joyfully redefining gender as we know it.

Ruler in Arabia

The heart of Islam beats on the Arabian Peninsula. For there lies Mecca, the holy city of the Muslims. Almost 100 years ago, one of the peninsula's many clans founded a kingdom there: Saudi Arabia. The rule of the Al Saud is based on a pact that combined, and still combines, strict religious zeal with political calculation.

Stammheim - Zeit des Terrors

The Stammheim trial against the leadership of the first generation of the RAF was one of the most elaborate in the Federal Republic of Germany. Through this trial, Stammheim also became a place of identity for the RAF. The docudrama uses the perspective of Horst Bubeck, who as a prison officer in the cell wing had the most intensive contact with the prisoners, to shed new light on the history.

Frozen Secrets

Ten percent of the earth's surface is covered by glaciers. While these frozen peaks are the planet's largest reservoirs of drinking water, they are also home to precious relics of the distant past. Like tree rings, each layer of ice provides information on past years, such as temperature and precipitation. With global warming - an environmental concern but a boon for glaciologists - these treasures are gradually being released. In 1991, for example, hikers in Italy discovered a corpse lying at an altitude of over 3,000 metres.

Globalisierung - Wie Krisen unsere Welt verändern

Crises, the struggle for raw materials, climate change and digitalisation – the world is changing rapidly, and with it the globalised economy. Who wins, who loses? What is in store for us? A search for clues in seven regions of the world.

Die Biografie des Bösen

Why is a person evil? Is evil in the genes? These questions have always preoccupied people. The approaches to explaining evil are as varied as evil itself. The latest science assumes that there are three factors that shape human behavior: genes, the environment and the individual situation. All three factors interact and influence each other. The film presents the latest research and addresses one of the most exciting questions in behavioral research.

Petrol: A Story of Power

The discovery of oil brought unprecedented economic growth to humanity. Initially, oil was available in large quantities and cheap – but in 1973, a consequential oil price crisis hit, and the sticky commodity became part of a geopolitical poker game. The struggle for global resources is more relevant than ever.

Secret Societies - Myths and Realities of a Parallel World

Secret societies play a far larger role in our everyday lives than we are aware of. Historian Dr Marian Füssel searches for clues surrounding history’s most famous secret societies and conspiracy theories.

Die Apple-Story – Eine Vision verführt die Welt