Potsdam, January 26, 2026 – One of Germany’s most successful crime series is celebrating its 25th birthday: SOKO Leipzig! Since its launch in 2001, the UFA Mitte production has thrilled audiences week after week. As the only SOKO in primetime, it has been impressing audiences with highly topical, politically relevant and socially explosive themes for 25 years now. In the current season, Chief Inspector Ina Zimmermann (Melanie Marschke) is once again investigating with her team: Kim Nowak (Amy Mußul), Moritz Brenner (Johannes Hendrik Langer) and Jan Maybach (Marco Girnth). The new episodes will be shown on Fridays at 9:15 pm on ZDF and can be viewed a week in advance on the ZDF streaming portal. The season finale is on March 27, 2026.

To mark the 25th anniversary of SOKO Leipzig, ZDF is broadcasting the double episode WAS BLEIBT, which is not only a special series highlight, but also marks a significant moment: Commissioner Jan Maybach, played by Marco Girnth, is saying goodbye. Since the first episode in January 2001, Girnth has been part of the permanent ensemble of the first East German SOKO spin-off.

The episodes of WAS BLEIBT (1/2) are available on the ZDF streaming portal. Part one was also broadcast on ZDF on January 23 at 9:15 p.m., part two will follow at the same time on January 30.

Katharina Rietz, Managing Director of UFA Mitte and producer: “This anniversary is particularly moving for us – an extraordinary milestone and at the same time a moment of great change. With the departure of Jan Maybach, we are saying goodbye to one of the most influential figures of the first hour and opening a new chapter. And with a lot of curiosity and joy! The strength of SOKO LEIPZIG has always been to embrace change, to use it, to reinvent itself again and again and at the same time to remain true to the format. 25 years stand for exactly that and are an extraordinary success. A huge round of applause and thanks is due to our numerous colleagues in front of and behind the camera for their highly professional work, to ZDF and our editors for the partnership and cooperation, and to all viewers for their great and continuous trust in our series.”

The first offshoot of SOKO 5113 (later SOKO Munich) celebrated its premiere on ZDF on January 31, 2001 with the episode FLUCHT NACH FAHRPLAN. In addition to Melanie Marschke (Ina Zimmermann) and Marco Girnth (Jan Maybach), Andreas Schmidt-Schaller (Hajo Trautzschke) and Gabriel Merz (Miguel Alvarez) were also part of the first team of investigators. Amy Mußul (Kim Nowak) and Johannes Hendrik Langer (Moritz Brenner) joined them later.

Always at the center of SOKO Leipzig is the team of investigators who tackle each case with empathy, analytical acuity and unwavering passion. Their work is characterized not only by their criminalistic skills, but also by a deep understanding of the people and fates behind the crimes. However, the investigators are not only challenged in their everyday work, they are also repeatedly confronted with drastic changes, conflicts and personal challenges in their private lives. It is precisely this interaction that has given SOKO Leipzig its special authenticity for 25 years.

SOKO LEIPZIG is a production of UFA Mitte. The producer is Katharina Rietz, Tanya Momella Mallory is the executive producer. SOKO LEIPZIG is edited by Ronja Reitzig and Kirsten Zielonka (ZDF).

About UFA Mitte
UFA bundles its activities in the program genres of fiction and serial drama as well as show, factual and documentary under one roof. UFA Mitte is the youngest unit of the UFA Group based in Leipzig. It was founded in September 2024 and emerged from the previous local branch. The aim of the new and independent unit is to continue existing successful program brands and to develop and produce new content for broadcasters and streamers originally in Central Germany. NEUES LAND is UFA Mitte’s first feature film project. The managing directors of UFA Mitte are Katharina Rietz and Sebastian Werninger. Producer Henriette Lippold is responsible for the development of new programs.

Press contacts UFA Fiction:

Janine Friedrich
Head of Communications

janine.friedrich@ufa.dePhone: +49 331 70 60 379

Leah Dümmler
Manager Communications & Events
leah.duemmler@ufa.de
Phone: +49 331 70 60 378

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The press release as pdf for download: