Archive Producer

The football projects keep coming. After FC Hollywood, Poldi and Elf Helden – ein Albtraum, I also had the opportunity to work as Archive Producer on Mission Sommermärchen, a three-part documentary series produced by BTF for ZDF.

As with FC Hollywood, the production was heavily archive-driven and therefore a major challenge in terms of research, clearance and material handling. That makes me all the more pleased that the documentary is now finished – and that it brings back so many vivid memories of the summer of 2006.

Germany, summer 2006: the country was swept up in World Cup euphoria. Jürgen Klinsmann’s young national team inspired millions with bold attacking football and became known as the “World Champions of Hearts.” Just two years earlier, however, such a turnaround had seemed almost impossible. German football was in a deep crisis, and Klinsmann’s attempt to revolutionise the national team met with strong resistance.

Mission Sommermärchen tells the dramatic backstory of that unforgettable tournament – from crisis and criticism to a summer that changed the way Germany saw itself and its football team. The series features those who were at the centre of it all, including Jürgen Klinsmann, Oliver Kahn, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski, David Odonkor, Joachim Löw, Philipp Lahm and others.

Mission Sommermärchen will be available to stream on ZDF from Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at 10:00 a.m.

Photo Credit: © ZDF