Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst
Encyclopedia
Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst (German
for "File Reference XY … Unsolved") is a German television programme
broadcast since October 1967 on ZDF
that aims to combat and solve crimes. Until 2003 it was produced in co-operation with the Austrian public service broadcaster ORF and Schweizer Fernsehen
, a division of the Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR idée suisse
. It was the basis for the BBC
show Crimewatch
and its US equivalent America's Most Wanted
.
The goal of the programme is to throw light on unsolved offences with the aid of viewers. Each episode contains three to five short films, each lasting about ten minutes, in which a real criminal case is reconstructed. The cases are mostly complex ones in which the criminals and chains of events are still unknown. In addition cases are discussed in the studio in which, for example, the identities of criminals or unknown murder victims are sought with the aid of a photo. Viewers can use the telephone or Internet to give information. According to a study by the programme's editorial department, about forty percent of cases shown on the programme are solved.
. After the programme's 300th episode he passed the presentership onto Butz Peters
, who fronted the show together with Zimmermann's daughter Sabine. Since January 18, 2002 Aktenzeichen XY has been presented by Rudi Cerne
.
With Aktenzeichen XY Eduard Zimmermann and ZDF succeeded in starting a TV format that had not existed worldwide until 1967. Although news reports had often shown photofit
s, an actual independent show of this type was unknown at this time.
The idea came to Zimmermann during his work with the programme Vorsicht, Falle! (Eng: Beware, Trap!) first broadcast in 1963, in which he warned the viewers of "Nepper, Schlepper und Bauernfänger" ("Scammers, Hustlers, and Conmen"). The viewers frequently sent him information regarding descriptions of the fraudsters on the programme. This gave him the idea to use the medium of TV to work with the police on unsolved crimes. In a biographical statement Zimmerman also admitted that his motivation for both programmes was partly a personal one; he himself is a victim of fraud.
Aktenzeichen XY was initially produced in the ZDF studios in Wiesbaden
, before moving to the FSM studios in Unterföhring
from 1969.
On November 8, 2002, the broadcast of the 350th episode was celebrated, after Aktenzeichen XY had been on the air for 35 years. Eduard Zimmermann was the guest of Rudi Cerne on his own programme, which concerned a several-decades-old crime that had particularly touched him - the abduction of a young girl named Ursula Hermann, who was buried alive in a crate for extortion on September 15, 1981 (a case similar to the case of Barbara Jane Mackle
, although the Mail Online states that the inspiration actually came from Dirty Harry
), but suffocated in her prison because the ventilation duct was clogged up by leaves. At the time 3,228 cases had been featured on the show, of which 1,182 had been solved. 1,880 people had been sought and 914 of them had been caught. This included 624 murder cases.
and the public broadcaster MDR
both produced similar programmes, known as Fahndungsakte (Eng: Manhunt Files) and Kripo
Live respectively. SAT.1 cancelled Fahndungsakte in 2000 after three years' run due to low audience figures. MDR has had more success with Kripo Live since 1992.
, where it has been known as Crimewatch
since 1984, the Netherlands
(Opsporing verzocht, 1982), Israel
(Crime Investigation, 1986), Hungary
(Az XY Akta Megoldatlan, 1992) and Ireland
("Crimecall
", 2005).
Aktenzeichen XY is the only German television format to have entered the American market, where it is known as America's Most Wanted
and has been broadcast since 1988.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
for "File Reference XY … Unsolved") is a German television programme
German television
Television in Germany began in Berlin on March 22, 1935, broadcasting for 90 minutes three times a week. The German television market had approximately 36.5 million television households in 2000, making it the largest television market in Europe...
broadcast since October 1967 on ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
that aims to combat and solve crimes. Until 2003 it was produced in co-operation with the Austrian public service broadcaster ORF and Schweizer Fernsehen
Schweizer Fernsehen
Schweizer Fernsehen is the German language division of SRG SSR, in charge of production and distribution of television programmes in German for German-speaking Switzerland...
, a division of the Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR idée suisse
SRG SSR idée suisse
SRG SSR is the Swiss public broadcasting organisation, founded in 1931 as SRG-SSR. Headquartered in Bern, SRG SSR is a non-profit organisation, funded mainly through radio and television licence fees and making the remaining income from advertising and sponsorship.Switzerland's system of direct...
. It was the basis for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show Crimewatch
Crimewatch
Crimewatch is a long-running and high-profile British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes with a view to gaining information from the members of the public. The programme is usually broadcast once a month on BBC One...
and its US equivalent America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
.
The goal of the programme is to throw light on unsolved offences with the aid of viewers. Each episode contains three to five short films, each lasting about ten minutes, in which a real criminal case is reconstructed. The cases are mostly complex ones in which the criminals and chains of events are still unknown. In addition cases are discussed in the studio in which, for example, the identities of criminals or unknown murder victims are sought with the aid of a photo. Viewers can use the telephone or Internet to give information. According to a study by the programme's editorial department, about forty percent of cases shown on the programme are solved.
History
Aktenzeichen XY first went on the air on October 20, 1967. The "inventor" and first presenter was Eduard ZimmermannEduard Zimmermann
Eduard Zimmermann was a German journalist, television presenter and security expert.- Life :...
. After the programme's 300th episode he passed the presentership onto Butz Peters
Butz Peters
Butz Peters is a German television presenter and jurist who presented Aktenzeichen XY... ungelöst from 1997 to 2001.-External links:...
, who fronted the show together with Zimmermann's daughter Sabine. Since January 18, 2002 Aktenzeichen XY has been presented by Rudi Cerne
Rudi Cerne
Rudi Cerne was a German figure skater and now works as a TV presenter....
.
With Aktenzeichen XY Eduard Zimmermann and ZDF succeeded in starting a TV format that had not existed worldwide until 1967. Although news reports had often shown photofit
Photofit
Photofit is a technique used by the police for building up an accurate image of someone to fit a witness' description. Photographs, rather than drawings, of individual features are used to construct an image of a suspect....
s, an actual independent show of this type was unknown at this time.
The idea came to Zimmermann during his work with the programme Vorsicht, Falle! (Eng: Beware, Trap!) first broadcast in 1963, in which he warned the viewers of "Nepper, Schlepper und Bauernfänger" ("Scammers, Hustlers, and Conmen"). The viewers frequently sent him information regarding descriptions of the fraudsters on the programme. This gave him the idea to use the medium of TV to work with the police on unsolved crimes. In a biographical statement Zimmerman also admitted that his motivation for both programmes was partly a personal one; he himself is a victim of fraud.
Aktenzeichen XY was initially produced in the ZDF studios in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, before moving to the FSM studios in Unterföhring
Unterföhring
Unterföhring is a municipality in the Upper Bavarian district Munich.-History:Before the establishment of Munich around 1158, an important crossing existed over the River Isar, the Föhringer Bridge. Unterföhring was mentioned in documents for the first time in 1180 as an independent place...
from 1969.
On November 8, 2002, the broadcast of the 350th episode was celebrated, after Aktenzeichen XY had been on the air for 35 years. Eduard Zimmermann was the guest of Rudi Cerne on his own programme, which concerned a several-decades-old crime that had particularly touched him - the abduction of a young girl named Ursula Hermann, who was buried alive in a crate for extortion on September 15, 1981 (a case similar to the case of Barbara Jane Mackle
Barbara Jane Mackle
Barbara Jane Mackle is an American heiress who was the survivor of a notorious crime. Her book about the ordeal was the basis of two television movies.-The crime:...
, although the Mail Online states that the inspiration actually came from Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....
), but suffocated in her prison because the ventilation duct was clogged up by leaves. At the time 3,228 cases had been featured on the show, of which 1,182 had been solved. 1,880 people had been sought and 914 of them had been caught. This included 624 murder cases.
In Germany
The private broadcaster Sat.1Sat.1
Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station in Germany, having started one day before RTL Television....
and the public broadcaster MDR
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt...
both produced similar programmes, known as Fahndungsakte (Eng: Manhunt Files) and Kripo
Kriminalpolizei
is the standard term for the criminal investigation agency within the police forces of Germany, Austria and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. In Nazi Germany during 1936, the Kripo became the Criminal Police Department for the entire Reich...
Live respectively. SAT.1 cancelled Fahndungsakte in 2000 after three years' run due to low audience figures. MDR has had more success with Kripo Live since 1992.
Internationally
The format has been sold to several countries, including Great BritainGreat Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, where it has been known as Crimewatch
Crimewatch
Crimewatch is a long-running and high-profile British television programme produced by the BBC, that reconstructs major unsolved crimes with a view to gaining information from the members of the public. The programme is usually broadcast once a month on BBC One...
since 1984, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(Opsporing verzocht, 1982), Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
(Crime Investigation, 1986), Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
(Az XY Akta Megoldatlan, 1992) and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
("Crimecall
Crimecall
Crimecall is an Irish television programme broadcast once a month on RTÉ. It is based loosely on the format of the German television programme Aktenzeichen XY … ungelöst, and more closely on its British derivative Crimewatch, whose format it is almost identical to.-Format:The show reconstructs...
", 2005).
Aktenzeichen XY is the only German television format to have entered the American market, where it is known as America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
and has been broadcast since 1988.
External links
- aktenzeichenxy.zdf.de ZDF official site (German)
- www.zuschauerreaktionen.de Comprehensive fan site (German)