Is It True That...? Season 2, Episode 21: Have secret messages changed history?

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

23 min

...Raw materials really make countries richer?

22 min

...Witch hunts began as early as the Middle Ages?

25 min

...Only silk was transported on the Silk Road?

24 min

...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?

21 min

...There was less paperwork in the past?

20 min

...Slavery was abolished for moral reasons?

25 min

...Global trade does make us richer?

24 min

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

24 min

...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?

25 min

...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?

24 min

...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?

24 min

...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.

25 min

...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?

26 min

...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.

22 min

...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.

21 min

...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?

23 min

...we have always been addicted to sugar?

26 min

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

26 min

...we have always enjoyed gaming?

23 min

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.”

25 min

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.

23 min

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?

24 min

...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.

26 min

...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.

24 min

... 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.

26 min