Is It True That...?

S2 · E1 · 2026年1月7日

...The principle of "an eye for an eye" used to apply? 第1話

S2 · E2 · 2026年1月14日

...Raw materials really make countries richer? 第2話

S2 · E3 · 2026年1月21日

...Witch hunts began as early as the Middle Ages? 第3話

S2 · E4 · 2026年2月18日

...Only silk was transported on the Silk Road? 第4話

S2 · E5 · 2026年2月25日

...The Past Was Less Violent? 第5話

Destruction, terror, war: It seems that there has never been more violence than in the world today. But what can we learn from history? Was there really less violence in the past?

S2 · E6 · 2026年3月4日

...There was less paperwork in the past? 第6話

S2 · E7 · 2026年3月11日

...Slavery was abolished for moral reasons? 第7話

S2 · E8 · 2026年3月18日

...Global trade does make us richer? 第8話

S2 · E9 · 2026年3月25日

...The dog has always been man's best friend? 第9話

S2 · E10 · 2026年4月1日

...humans have always experienced intoxication? 第10話

Is drug-induced intoxication a new phenomenon – emerging in a pleasure-seeking society that knows no bounds? Discoveries of drug artifacts thousands of years old raise doubts. Intoxication seems to have been used in many cultures for spiritual insights and social rituals. Why, then, are most drugs illegal today?

S2 · E11 · 2026年4月8日

...Columbus was the first to cross an ocean? 第11話

To this day, Columbus is considered the first person to have crossed an ocean. But archaeology, genetics, and indigenous knowledge systems tell a different story: Polynesians, Vikings, and even early humans reached distant continents long before him. Why do we remember Columbus—and not them?

S2 · E12 · 2026年4月15日

...dirndls and lederhosen are quintessentially Bavarian? 第12話

Traditions seem ancient—but many are invented, politically dictated, or shaped by modern tourism. This documentary traces the origins of traditions from Bavaria through France to Georgia, showing how customs create identity, secure power, or foster community. And it asks: If traditions are invented, why don't we simply create new ones ourselves?

S2 · E13 · 2026年4月22日

...all African countries were European colonies? 第13話

Africa is often considered a continent entirely colonized by Europeans – although large parts of it remained independent until the 19th century. So what was it really like? This documentary tells the story of Leopold II's reign of terror in the Congo, of African-American colonizers in Liberia, and of the Ethiopian victory at Adwa. It shows just how multifaceted Africa's history truly was.

S2 · E14 · 2026年4月29日

...there is no progress without war? 第14話

GPS, space travel, industrial fertilizer production: they all arose under military pressure. Wars accelerate decisions, pool resources, and drive innovation. But they also destroy knowledge, societies, and lives. Is it possible, then, to achieve progress without extreme violence?

S2 · E15 · 2026年5月6日

...the modern age began with the printing press? 第15話

The myth sounds seductive: Johannes Gutenberg invents printing – and suddenly the Reformation, the scientific revolution, and the Enlightenment begin. A single machine is said to have triggered an entire era. But historical reality is far more complex. From Chinese prototypes to conservative early printing presses, to Luther and global knowledge networks, it was the interplay of many forces that gave the printed word its historical power.

S2 · E16 · 2026年5月13日

...tourism was invented thanks to the railway? 第16話

Did tourism originate with the railway? Pilgrimages were important precursors – but it was romantic notions of nature and the expansion of infrastructure that created the necessary conditions. Politics and media staging ultimately shaped mass travel as we know it: tourism arises when longing finds structure.

S2 · E17 · 2026年5月20日

...The Gap Between Rich and Poor Has Never Been Bigger? 第17話

Are the rich today richer than ever? This episode shows how the gap between rich and poor has developed over the millennia: From the first states, through the slave trade and industrialisation, to globalised trade and neo-liberal politics. How did the rich get richer? And can the trend be reversed?

S2 · E18 · 2026年5月27日

...we have always been addicted to sugar? 第18話

S2 · E19 · 2026年6月3日

...the super-rich have made the world a better place? 第19話

S2 · E20 · 2026年6月10日

...we have always enjoyed gaming? 第20話

S2 · E21 · 2026年6月17日

Have secret messages changed history? 第21話

From Caesar’s cipher to the Enigma machine, from Renaissance intrigue to today’s online payments, the art of encoding and decoding information has evolved for centuries. Wars, conspiracies, and revolutions - the hidden science of cryptology has shaped history far more than most people realize.

S2 · E22 · 2026年6月24日

Do true geniuses exist? 第22話

Michelangelo, Newton, Einstein - some individuals have achieved extraordinary things. But are “true geniuses” real, or have we invented them because we want to believe in someone exceptional? Experts from four countries explore how the idea of genius emerged and what lies behind the enduring “cult of genius.”

S2 · E23 · 2026年7月17日

Did People Have Drinking Water in the Past? 第23話

Clean drinking water is often seen as a hallmark of modernity. But could humans have survived for millennia if water had always been undrinkable? From antiquity to the present day, it becomes clear that technology is only part of the story. What matters is how societies manage water and who has access to it. Water is not just a question of nature, but also of power and inequality.

S2 · E24 · 2026年8月5日

Why Did Monogamy Become the Norm? 第24話

Some believe monogamy is deeply rooted in our genes, while others see it as a cultural invention. History shows that human relationships have always evolved, and that monogamy has often been just one option among many. So why did it become so dominant in Europe, while other cultures followed different paths?

S2 · E25 · 2026年8月12日

...There Was More Free Speech in the Past? 第25話

Many people believe that, in the past, people were able to express themselves more freely. But the history of freedom of expression has always been fraught with contradictions: even in ancient Athens, freedom of expression and censorship coexisted.

S2 · E26 · 2026年8月19日

...In the Past Surnames Did Not Exist? 第26話

Surnames seem to have always existed, but their history is surprisingly recent. This episode traces their history, from the trading towns of the Middle Ages to 20th-century Turkey and shows that surnames have never merely served as a means of identification.

S2 · E27 · 2026年8月26日

... In The Past We Were Never Alone? 第27話

Having somewhere to be alone is taken for granted today, but that was not always the case. From Ancient Greece and Rome to 17th century England, this episode shows how privacy is closely linked to power, technology, social inequality and freedom.

S2 · E28 · 2026年9月2日

Is Life Really Getting Faster? 第28話

Why do we feel more rushed than ever despite time-saving technology? This episode explores how acceleration has transformed daily life since industrialization, and how it can also steal our time - from the steam locomotive to the smartphone, from the shock of the medieval plague to today's 47-second attention span.

S2 · E29 · 2026年9月9日

Was the Future Once Brighter? 第29話

Why have we lost faith in a better future? Once seen as blueprints for progress, utopias are now often dismissed as unrealistic dreams, while dystopian visions thrive. This episode traces the history of utopian thought from Thomas More to today and asks why our hopes have faded - and whether we should rediscover them.

S2 · E30 · 2026年9月16日

Did Sigmund Freud invent psychotherapy? 第30話

Although many of Freud's theories are now considered disproven, he is still widely seen as the father of modern psychotherapy. Why does his legacy endure? This episode explores how the roots of modern psychotherapy actually predate Freud by centuries.

S2 · E31 · 2026年9月23日

Were we all cavemen? 第31話

The cliché of Stone Age humans living in caves is challenged by discoveries of ancient huts. In the Middle Ages, millions of cave dwellings provided homes for poor farmers. So what did our ancestors really live in? And why do some Finns still spend part of their lives underground today?

S2 · E32 · 2026年9月30日

Did killing tyrants make the world better? 第32話

Is tyrannicide ever justified for the greater good, or does it undermine a just society? This episode explores how such acts have been legitimized, who carried them out and why - from Caesar and Hitler to assassinations targeting today's authoritarian regimes.

S2 · E33 · 2026年10月7日

Did Islam spread through conquest? 第33話

Islamic empires expanded through military campaigns, but the spread of Islam itself often took different paths. Trade, migration, scholarship, and cultural exchange played important roles in bringing Islam to new regions and communities. Why, then, does the image of Islam as a “religion of the sword” persist?

S2 · E34 · 2026年10月14日

Have we ever been this exhausted? 第34話

Burnout is often seen as a defining condition of our time. But were earlier generations really less exhausted? This episode traces the history of fatigue from burnout and industrial-era neurasthenia back to the Renaissance and Middle Ages, while exploring other cultures for clues to the cultural roots of exhaustion.

S2 · E35 · 2026年10月21日

TVDB 第35話

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S2 · E36 · 2026年10月28日

TVDB 第36話

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