Is It True That...? - The year 2026
Browse all 34 episodes in this season, including available images, air dates, runtimes, ratings and episode summaries from TMDB.
Episodes
Episode 1
...The principle of "an eye for an eye" used to apply?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 2
...Raw materials really make countries richer?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 3
...Witch hunts began as early as the Middle Ages?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 4
...Only silk was transported on the Silk Road?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 5
...The Past Was Less Violent?
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?
Episode 6
...There was less paperwork in the past?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 7
...Slavery was abolished for moral reasons?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 8
...Global trade does make us richer?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 9
...The dog has always been man's best friend?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 10
...humans have always experienced intoxication?
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?
Episode 11
...Columbus was the first to cross an ocean?
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?
Episode 12
...dirndls and lederhosen are quintessentially Bavarian?
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?
Episode 13
...all African countries were European colonies?
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.
Episode 14
...there is no progress without war?
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?
Episode 15
...the modern age began with the printing press?
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.
Episode 16
...tourism was invented thanks to the railway?
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.
Episode 17
...The Gap Between Rich and Poor Has Never Been Bigger?
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?
Episode 18
...we have always been addicted to sugar?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 19
...the super-rich have made the world a better place?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 20
...we have always enjoyed gaming?
TMDB has not published a written overview for this episode yet.
Episode 21
Have secret messages changed history?
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.
Episode 22
Do true geniuses exist?
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.”
Episode 23
Did People Have Drinking Water in the Past?
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.
Episode 24
Why Did Monogamy Become the Norm?
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?
Episode 25
...There Was More Free Speech in the Past?
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.
Episode 26
...In the Past Surnames Did Not Exist?
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.
Episode 27
... In The Past We Were Never Alone?
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.
Episode 28
Is Life Really Getting Faster?
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.
Episode 29
Was the Future Once Brighter?
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.
Episode 30
Did Sigmund Freud invent psychotherapy?
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.
Episode 31
Were we all cavemen?
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?
Episode 32
Did killing tyrants make the world better?
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.
Episode 33
Did Islam spread through conquest?
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?
Episode 34
Have we ever been this exhausted?
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.