Heartbeat and hope: pensioner celebrates birthday with scratch card!

Heartbeat and hope: pensioner celebrates birthday with scratch card!

The debate about poverty and social inequality will remain a hot topic in Germany in 2025. One of the best-known media formats that takes up this topic is the social documentary “Hartz and warmly”. This program highlights the realities of life of people who often live on the subsistence level and are accompanied by cameras. The next episode is already in the starting blocks and will be broadcast today, September 6th, 2025, at 6:05 p.m. on RTL 2, and as always, exciting awards will be given. In this episode, the protagonists hope for small miracles as they deal with their reality every day. The audience pays particular attention to pensioner Regina, who dreams of winning big with scratch cards on her birthday.

The festival premiere is at a location that is specifically covered in the program: the Benz Barracks in Mannheim. This is not only a unique filming location, but also a symbol of the challenges that the people there face every day. The well-known faces include the father of eight Elvis, the charming pensioner Dagmar and the single mother Janine, who dares to give us an insight into their lives. As reported RND, UFA Show & Factual GmbH is responsible for the production, which emphasizes that the program is authentic and unposed.

New season and social reflection

A new season of “Hartz and Cordial – Day after Day Benz Barracks” only started on August 19, 2025. This not only shows the everyday life of people in Mannheim, but also highlights dramatic events, such as the incident this year when a car drove into the pedestrian zone. During this worrying situation, several protagonists were affected and reported fears and insecurity. The documentary “Germany – Your Debt” will also be broadcast as a result, which deals with the challenges of people in personal insolvency in a broader context. It becomes clear here that financial problems are often the other side of the coin of social inequality that affects many people.

The real circumstances that these documentaries address are supported by a current analysis by the Hans Böckler Foundation. This highlights the continually growing poverty in Germany. According to the 2023 WSI distribution report, 16.7 percent of the population is affected by income poverty and the gap between rich and poor continues to grow. Even in times of crisis, these inequalities become particularly clear, which relentlessly promotes social divisions within society. High social inequalities are often followed by lower life satisfaction and increasing concerns about health. It is a vicious circle that not only shapes individual fates, but also has a lasting impact on social coexistence.

Outlook and challenges

A conference of the Hans Böckler Foundation will take place on November 9th, which will deal with combating inequalities under the topic “Distribution issues in times of crisis – combating social division, shaping transformation fairly”. Such discussions are important because only through open dialogue can we find ways to create a more just society. This afternoon the event will also be available via livestream so that a wider audience can participate.

So what remains? The responsibility of the individual and society itself to deal with the challenges presented both on the screen and in reality. So it's important to look and be prepared to actively shape your own environment. Because as the people in the “Hartz and warm” documentary show, the hope for change remains even in difficult times.