The spectrum of topics ranges from political history with a focus on contemporary history (especially National Socialism and post-war history) to cultural history and social history. In addition, ZDF-History also regularly deals with pre-modern history, art and cultural history.

Released during the trial of Adolf Eichmann, this documentary uses archival footage and contemporary interviews to examine the crimes of the Third Reich and the bureaucratic machinery behind the Holocaust. Directed by Erwin Leiser, the film situates Eichmann’s prosecution within a broader historical context, confronting German audiences with visual evidence of antisemitism, deportation, and mass murder, including commentary from figures such as Fritz Bauer.