Black Gold

Schwarzes Gold

2025 • 1 Season

Greed for power, betrayal and the dream of quick wealth: An oil boom breaks out in the Lüneburg Heath around 1900, transforming an entire region into a German „Wild West“. This series tells of this time, of the destructive power of boundless selfishness, but also of the courage to rebel against injustice. Lüneburg Heath around 1900: The young farmer's daughter Johanna works as a maid to support her family. No one suspects that there is a treasure lurking beneath her family's fields – petroleum. Only Richard, the son of the neighboring farmer Pape, knows about it and dreams of a future together with Johanna. Their forbidden love is put to the test when the unscrupulous oil trader Mr. Robertson appears and a fierce battle for power and wealth begins.

Latest Episode

The History of the Oil Boom in Germany

S01 E07 • Monday, Dec 29, 2025 • Dec 29

This companion documentary delves into the real-life origins of the oil boom in the Lüneburg Heath. Actor Aaron Hilmer from the series "Black Gold" travels to Wietze in search of historical traces. Once a hub of the German oil industry, the town in the Celle district served as the real-world inspiration for the fictional series. In 1858, geologist Georg Hunäus drilled Germany’s first oil well here. By the early 20th century, oil derricks crowded the landscape of Wietze. Through conversations with historians and contemporary witnesses, Aaron Hilmer explores how the oil boom transformed this small village on the heath.

Seasons

Season 1

7 ep.

Dec 2025

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