Spiegel TV

A look at the parallel lives of Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler and how they crossed with the creation of the film “The Great Dictator,” released in 1940.

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.

The Code of Criminal Procedure is actually intended to help judges get to the truth. To do this, they interview witnesses, listen to experts, and have evidence presented. But what if the evidence does not provide a clear picture when statement is against statement? The judge is free to assess the evidence. All that counts is the judicial conviction, which ideally also corresponds to the “objective truth”. But how often is this really the case? How easily do we believe our own prejudices when in doubt? How quickly can we be manipulated? And how do we know when someone is lying? Knowledge of these soft factors also makes it difficult for people at the head of a court to decide whether guilt or innocence. In the end, the judges also have to live with a verdict that has serious consequences for those involved. The accompanying documentary to the TV movie attempts to explore this dilemma with the help of various interview partners and cases.

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

The first ascent of the Matterhorn was made on July 14, 1865 by Edward Whymper, Francis Douglas, Charles Hudson, Douglas Hadow, Michel Croz and two guides from Zermatt, Peter Taugwalder father and son. Douglas, Hudson, Hadow and Croz are killed on the descent after Hadow slips and drags the other three men down the north face. Whymper and the two Taugwalders, who survive, are later accused of having cut the rope that connected them to the rest of the group so as not to be dragged into the fall, but the ensuing investigation finds no evidence of their guilt and they are acquitted. The Matterhorn is the last great peak in the Alps to be conquered and its ascent marks the end of the golden age of mountaineering. One hundred and fifty years later, a team undertakes the same expedition in order to unravel the mystery.

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.

A history of Nazi television programming and technology, from 1935 to 1944.

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.

How do you deal with right-wing extremists in the neighborhood? Exclude, tolerate or involve? Rural regions in particular are prone to infiltration by nationalist settlers. Right-wing extremists systematically penetrate village structures, pretending to be nice neighbors, committed citizens and problem solvers in a completely non-ideological way. Local volunteer fire brigades and football clubs are infiltrated by Nazis. Done among others in the village of Groß Krams in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where two right-wing extremists seem to be part of everyday village life. One of them works as a firefighter. In Appen, Schleswig-Holstein, the state chairman of the Hamburg NPD wanted to join the village's football club. But the club's management refused when they found out about the political background. The documentary by Hans Jakob Rausch illuminates the infiltration strategies of the extreme right and the difficult balance between tolerance and engagement against right-wing radicalism.

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, shoot in black-and-white, was extensively restored and colourized for this documentary. The historically unique footage appear 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.

Seven men stand on the summit of the Matterhorn, the last Alpine peak to be conquered. Their place in history is assured. Then disaster strikes. A rope snaps and four men fall to their death. But did the rope really just snap, or did one of the climbers cut it? This is a murder mystery at 14,000 feet, filled with gripping reenactments filmed at the original locations to retell the tragic events.

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.

The fact that Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon on July 19, 1969, was also the success of Wernher von Braun and a team of more than 100 NASA technicians and engineers from Germany. But the success story is shrouded in dark shadows: Many of the Germans had a Nazi past and were part of the development of the infamous V2 rocket. Some 20,000 forced laborers lost their lives during the production under the inhumane working conditions at several Nazi underground weapons factories. In a secret operation to secure German rocket technology, the Americans brought the scientists to the USA in 1945. Only decades later were classified documents released, detailing the involvement of German NASA employees with the Third Reich.

Helmets, swords and historical battles. Once a year, Viking fans gather in Wolin, Poland, for the largest Viking festival in the world. Hundreds of warriors re-enact the life of the Northmen here. For Dennis, the Viking life is not just a hobby, but a way of life. At the weekend he and his wife go to a self-built Viking village near Alfeld. They live here with like-minded people almost as they did a thousand years ago. The festival in Wolin is a highlight of the year for them. But right-wing extremists are increasingly mingling with participants and visitors to the costume spectacle. Swastikas and other right-wing symbols are being openly displayed more and more frequently. Runes and armor have attracted right-wing extremists since the Nazi era. One example is the Viking Museum Village in Oerlinghausen, which was built by the Nazi regime. Museum director Karl Banghard has been observing the infiltration of the Viking scene by right-wing extremists for years.