"Goodbye Deutschland" is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The kickoff for the emigration documentary took place on August 15, 2006, with the first broadcast on VOX. Since then, according to the network, around 1,900 emigrations have been documented. This resulted in more than 1,000 films.

The Concept and Goals of the Emigrants

Since 2006, the documentary show "Goodbye Deutschland! Die Auswanderer" has accompanied people who want to fulfill their dream of living abroad. With courage, determination, and the willingness to take personal risks, emigrants venture a fresh start far from their homeland. The format shows them in all crucial moments: during preparations, during the often emotional farewell, upon arrival in their new home, and facing the first obstacles abroad.

The show, which was nominated for the German Television Award in 2011 in the category "Best Entertainment Documentary", also spawned several spin-offs, including "Goodbye Deutschland! Die größten Abenteuer der Welt" and "Goodbye Deutschland! Liebe bis ans Ende der Welt".

According to VOX, the emigrants' destinations range from Vietnam, Paraguay, and Egypt to Australia, New Zealand, and the Amazon. The Vega family reportedly covered the longest distance: 18,130 kilometers to Tauranga in New Zealand. The shortest emigration, on the other hand, covered only 163 kilometers - from Stuttgart to Zurich. The most popular destinations over all these years included Spain with Mallorca, as well as the USA with dream locations like Florida, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

The Stars of the Show

"Goodbye Deutschland" has produced some well-known faces over the years who became famous far beyond the format. They include the Reimanns, who emigrated to the USA in 2004 and later got their own TV formats. Daniela Katzenberger was followed by "Goodbye Deutschland" starting in 2010, when she renovated and opened "Café Katzenberger" in Mallorca. This appearance marked the start of her own TV career.

Chris Töpperwien joined "Goodbye Deutschland" in 2012 and became known as the "Currywurst Man" in Los Angeles. Later followed appearances in reality formats like "Das Sommerhaus der Stars" and the jungle camp. In 2025, he made his departure from the show public. Jens Büchner emigrated to Mallorca at the end of 2010 with Jennifer Matthias and their son; he was first seen on "Goodbye Deutschland" in early 2011. "Malle-Jens" became one of the format's most famous emigrants. He died on November 17, 2018, at the age of 49 in Mallorca. Danni Büchner entered the "Goodbye Deutschland" universe through her husband Jens Büchner; starting in 2015, she gave insights into her life in Mallorca. After Jens' death, she herself became an established reality figure.

Other well-known couples include Caro and Andreas Robens. They have been followed by "Goodbye Deutschland" in Mallorca since 2015, where they run their gym, and solidified their reality status here in 2020 by winning "Sommerhaus der Stars". Peggy Jerofke and Steff Jerkel are also among the defining Mallorca faces of the format. Through "Goodbye Deutschland", they became known to a wider audience, and later also appeared in other reality formats. With their private life and business projects on the island, they remained a recurring topic.

The Anniversary

For the big anniversary, VOX is celebrating the emigration documentary show in summer with four special editions. They will air from July 20 to August 10, always on Mondays starting at 8:15 p.m. (also on RTL+). Three premiere broadcasts and one best-of are planned.

The kickoff on July 20 features the two-hour episode "Four Emigrants on Four Continents", in which VOX revisits former emigrants and shows what has become of them. On July 27, the focus is on Peggy Jerofke and Steff Jerkel with their wedding in Mallorca, as well as Ute and Kwesi in Gambia. On August 3, a three-hour "Update from Zanzibar" follows with new stories about Levke Kersting, Angi Wolf, Melanie Sitter, and Luisa Dopmeyer. In conclusion, VOX looks back on August 10 in "Best of - 20 Years GBD" at defining emigrant stories - including the Reimann family, the Mermi-Schmelz family, Marco and Tamara Gülpen, as well as Daniela Katzenberger, who hosts the show.