[REVISION HISTORY]

ZDF crime programming 2026

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2026-09-29 12:11 UTC → 2026-10-05 07:40 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following its summer crime focus, ZDF expanded its true-crime programming in September 2026. On 9 September, the program ‘Aktenzeichen XY … Ungelöst’ featured two major unsolved investigations. In Lampertheim, authorities sought information regarding the 2024 murder of a 36-year-old teacher found stabbed in a forest; the Darmstadt public prosecutor's office offered a 5,000 euro reward, noting the perpetrator may have been a seasonal worker who left the country. In Karlsruhe, investigators upgraded the 2025 case of 15-year-old Miguel K., who fell from a bridge, to suspected attempted manslaughter and dangerous bodily harm, offering up to 5,000 euros for information. Also on 9 September, the spin-off ‘XY gelöst,’ hosted by Sven Voss, entered its sixth season. Voss emphasized a non-sensationalist approach, stating that ‘reality is brutal enough.’ The new season, which includes four episodes available via streaming and double broadcasts on 15 and 16 September, covers cases such as a 22-year investigation into a murder and the pursuit of a serial offender linked to nearly 60 attacks on women. Later in the month, ZDF released two installments of ‘XY history,’ also hosted by Sven Voss. The first, ‘Die Jagd nach dem Hammermörder,’ investigates mid-1980s murders in the Stuttgart area committed by police officer Norbert Poehlke, who used a sledgehammer during robberies. The second film examines the 1969 disappearance of children in Eberswalde during the era of the former DDR. ZDF further expanded its true-crime lineup by announcing a second season of ‘XY Spuren des Verbrechens,’ scheduled to begin airing on 9 November 2026. Hosted by Helene Reiner and LKA expert Fabian Puchelt, the series uses archive material and graphic novel visualisations to analyze historical cases from ‘Aktenzeichen XY… Ungelöst.’ The first season of this series achieved an average of 1.83 million viewers.

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