TV-Search on ZDF - Why Rudy Cerne was once arrested: Seven facts around "Aktenzeichen XY
"Aktenzeichen XY" ... unsolved" is a Dinosaur in German prime time entertainment. This Dinosaur didn't need much evolution to survive, and yet it has managed to attract millions of viewers month after month every Wednesday evening on ZDF. For instance, there were approximately 5.5 million viewers in March of this year.
First aired in October 1967, this format is one of the oldest in German television, yet still one of the most popular. And this, despite the fact that its concept has remained virtually unchanged for over five decades. There are even spin-offs of the show, such as special formats focusing on Cold Cases, missing persons, or solved crimes, and – a podcast.
Throughout the years, the show gained notoriety through major successes, harsh criticisms, and curious events, often surrounding the moderators.
1. Rudi Cerne was once mistaken for Red Army Faction terrorist Christian Klar
Many TV viewers know Rudi Cerne primarily as the host of "Aktenzeichen XY" – he's been doing this job since 2002. However, the TV moderator also has an impressive career as a professional figure skater behind him, achieving significant national and international successes in the 70s and 80s.
As a young man, during his career as a professional figure skater, Cerne had a certain resemblance to the wanted Red Army Faction (RAF) terrorist, Christian Klar. Cerne recalled in an interview with the "Bild" newspaper a few years ago how he landed at Düsseldorf Airport in 1978 and, as soon as he stepped off the plane, was met by the barrel of a gun. Cerne was arrested because the police mistook him for Klar. Fortunately, the mistake was cleared up after half an hour, and Cerne was released, but the officers involved were quite embarrassed at the time.
2. Show creator Eduard Zimmermann once needed police protection
From 1967 to 2000, Eduard Zimmermann was the brains and face of the show. However, at the beginning of the format, this was controversial in some parts of the population. The 60s and 70s were the era of student protests – and, unfortunately, terrorism from the RAF. Zimmermann was criticized by detractors for conducting a "manhunt" with his investigative show and for fostering prejudices and hatred towards minorities. "In the 70s, during the height of the RAF, he was on their hit list and under police protection," the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" noted in an obituary for Zimmermann, who passed away in 2009.
3. Zimmermann spent years in Bautzen prison as a young man
Zimmermann led a colorful and, at times, dangerous journalistic career before joining "Aktenzeichen XY". In 1949, at the age of 20, he received an assignment from a Swedish newspaper that led him to prison in the DDR. While investigating living conditions in the DDR, he was arrested on suspicion of espionage. The sentence: 25 years in prison. He served nearly five and a half years of this in the infamous DDR prison in Bautzen. In 1954, the native Munich resident returned to the West and made a career as a journalist, ultimately landing a job at the ZDF.
4. "Aktenzeichen XY" was an absolute novelty in international television in the 60s
Today, there are numerous entertainment formats worldwide that aim to solve crimes. One might think that ZDF might have exported its "Crime Squad" to the USA or Britain. However, that is far from the truth: Eduard Zimmermann is the originator of the idea and created a groundbreaking innovation in the late 60s. Unique about it was that a TV show cooperated with the criminal police to tackle unsolved crimes.
5. The first case was solved in Episode 6
Just a year after the show's launch, in June 1968, Zimmermann's crime investigation recorded its first success. His creed since the first episode was "To use the screen for crime fighting" – and this would soon become a reality. With the help of viewers, the robbery-murder in "Aktenzeichen XY" was solved after the sixth episode. The perpetrator was found and arrested based on a stolen watch, and was eventually sentenced to life imprisonment. This case significantly improved the show's image in its early days.
6. Over 5060 cases in more than 50 years
In May of this year, the ZDF published a new statistics report on the cases presented so far: There had been over 5060 cases, and the clearance rate through the TV format was approximately 40 percent according to the broadcaster. Cerne keeps viewers informed about successful investigations in every episode. Zimmermann had also held this belief.
A tradition from the 60s is also international cooperation. With "Aktenzeichen XY," not only crimes from Germany are shown, but foreign police departments can sometimes go public with the help of Cerne and his team.
And how are the films made, in which the crime sequences are described? This happens in close collaboration between the editorial team and investigative agencies, according to the ZDF. The films should then reflect the current knowledge of the investigators about how the crime was committed.
7. The "White Ring" goes back to "Aktenzeichen XY"
Many people have probably heard of the "White Ring," a support organization that represents the interests of crime victims and their families and assists them in legal and financial matters. For victims of crime, material and psychological needs often arise, which can last for years or even decades, or never be met. But few people know: This organization, which now has branches abroad, was founded in 1976 by "XY" inventor – Eduard Zimmermann.
Sources: "Press kit for "Aktenzeichen XY"", "Sueddeutsche.de", "Quotenmeter.de", "Bild.de"
- The "Cold Case" spin-off of "Aktenzeichen XY" often features cases involving the Red Army Faction (RAF), such as the one involving Christian Klar.
- A prominent RAF member named Christian Klar was arrested due to a case file labeled 'File XY', which was later discovered to be a mix-up with Rudi Cerne.
- In a similar incident, Rudi Cerne was mistakenly identified as RAF member Eduard Zimmermann's look-alike, Rudi Cerne, and was detained at Düsseldorf Airport in 1978.
- Despite the controversy surrounding the show's Cold Case format, the entertainment program "Aktenzeichen XY" continued to air on German television, and its reach expanded to include international cooperations.
- Rudi Cerne, the popular host of "Aktenzeichen XY," often shares updates on solved cases, including those involving the RAF and Red Army Faction terrorists like Christian Klar, on the show.
