The series presents historic personalities, whose profiles open the door to the various different epochs. Deutsche Welle is broadcasting selected episodes from the series, beginning with “Charlemagne and the Saxons.” Even during his lifetime, Charlemagne (c. 748 – 814) was regarded as the “father of Europe.” Many European peoples can trace their roots back to the era of the great Holy Roman Emperor, who created key prerequisites for later developments on German soil.

 

Part 1: Charlemagne and the Saxons

Charlemagne’s empire extended from the North Sea to the Mediterranean and from the Pyrenees to the Danube. He is widely regarded as the "Father of Europe." Many European nations trace their origins to the time of the Carolingian emperor. Charlemagne also laid the foundations for many important developments that took place within the territory that would later become Germany.

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW (English)

SUN 13.05.2018 – 19:15 UTC
MON 14.05.2018 – 01:15 UTC
MON 14.05.2018 – 15:15 UTC
WED 16.05.2018  – 05:15 UTC
THU 24.05.2018 – 03:15 UTC
SUN 27.05.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4
Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3

DW (Deutsch+)

MON 14.05.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3

Part 2: Otto and the Empire

Otto the Great is the progenitor of Germany and German history begins with him. During his reign, the four main tribes on German territory began to see themselves as having a collective fate. Otto is the king who brought the Saxon, Bavarian, Swabian and Franconian tribes to perceive themselves as a community. This documentary examines his role as a unifier.

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW (English)

SUN 20.05.2018 – 19:15 UTC
MON 21.05.2018 – 01:15 UTC
MON 21.05.2018 – 15:15 UTC
WED 23.05.2018 – 05:15 UTC
THU 31.05.2018 – 03:15 UTC
SUN 03.06.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4
Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3

DW (Deutsch+)

MON 21.05.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3

Part 3: Barbarossa and the Lion

The fate of the Hohenstaufen dynasty mirrored the rise and fall of the medieval Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Frederick I reigned from 1152 until his death in 1190. "Barbarossa", as he was called, was considered by his contemporaries to be a beacon of power and virtue, a ruler who fought for the "honor of the empire." This documentary explores his reign.

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW (English)

SUN 27.05.2018 – 19:15 UTC
MON 28.05.2018 – 01:15 UTC
MON 28.05.2018 – 15:15 UTC
WED 30.05.2018  – 05:15 UTC
THU 07.06.2018 – 03:15 UTC
SUN 10.06.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4
Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3

DW (Deutsch+)

MON 28.05.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3
 

Part 4:  Luther and the Nation

Martin Luther started out as a simple monk, a doubting theologian in constant conflict with himself. But he became an epochal figure, both uniting and dividing the Germans and splitting the Roman Catholic Church without actually intending to. "The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" had been the name of the state at the heart of Europe since the late 15th century.

 

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW (English)

SUN 03.06.2018 – 19:15 UTC
MON 04.06.2018 – 01:15 UTC
MON 04.06.2018 – 15:15 UTC
WED 06.06.2018 – 05:15 UTC
THU 14.06.2018 – 03:15 UTC
SUN 17.06.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4
Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3

DW (Deutsch+)

MON 04.06.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3

Part 5: Frederick and the Empress

The path to German nationhood was riven with conflict. After the Thirty Years' War, the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation resembled a territorial patchwork, an obstacle to any national development along Western European lines.

 

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW (English)

SUN 10.06.2018 – 19:15 UTC
MON 11.06.2018 – 01:15 UTC
MON 11.06.2018 – 15:15 UTC
WED 13.06.2018 – 05:15 UTC
THU 21.06.2018 – 03:15 UTC
SUN 24.06.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4
Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3

DW (Deutsch+)

MON 11.06.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3

Part 6: Bismarck and the German Empire

The failure of Germany’s March Revolution (1848/49), a futile attempt by bourgeois liberal forces to restrict the power of Germany’s rulers, unite the German Confederation and establish a constitutional parliament, led to the imposition of "unity from above” as Prussia's Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck paved the way for the first German nation-state.

Broadcasting Hours: 

DW (English)

SUN 17.06.2018 – 19:15 UTC
MON 18.06.2018 – 01:15 UTC
MON 18.06.2018 – 15:15 UTC
WED 20.06.2018 – 05:15 UTC
THU 28.06.2018 – 03:15 UTC
SUN 01.07.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4
Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 
London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3

DW (Deutsch+)

MON 18.06.2018 – 09:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3