The German Democratic Republic’s Ampelmännchen, or 'little street crossing man,' is not your typical tall, stick-like figure
Representation pic
When German traffic psychologist Karl Peglau designed an easy-to-recognise symbol for pedestrian street crossings in East Berlin, he had no idea that it would eventually grow legs of its own. The German Democratic Republic’s Ampelmännchen, or “little street crossing man,” is not your typical tall, stick-like figure. Rather, this stout and somewhat childlike silhouette, with a flat-top cap and a confident stride, is as iconic as he is eye-catching. Now, at age 60, the little street crossing man is also the inspiration for a new generation of bespoke traffic symbols designed not only for pedestrian safety, but also to attract tourism and devoted followers of their own, atlasobscura.com reported.
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In the Hessen towns of Bad Nauheim and Friedberg, an Elvis Presley Ampelmannchen instructs foot traffic with his signature dance moves. (“The King” lived in the former and was stationed in the latter during his years in the US Army.) In the Saxon cities of Zwickau, Dresden, and Leipzig, female crossing signals with long braids and skirts, known as Ampelfrau, preside over pedestrian crossings. Whether it’s because of the Pied Piper Ampelmännchen in Hamelin, a silhouette of the cherished German cartoon character Det in Mainz, or the newly installed Brothers Grimm signals in Hanau, the birthplace of the famous fairy tale publishers, crossing the street in Germany has become a much more fun endeavour.
Karl Marx’s likeness directs pedestrian traffic in Trier, Germany. Pic Courtesy/Trier City Administration
Take the riverside city of Trier in southwest Germany’s Moselle wine region, where crossing guard duty falls to social philosopher and revolutionary Karl Marx. When the city was looking for ways to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of its most famous son, an Ampelmannchen seemed like the obvious answer. City administrators already knew it could be done; all they needed was a pair of designs that complied with a couple of road safety standards. One rule, explains Nicole Lauer, the head of Trier’s Public Relations and Marketing department, is that the figures must clearly convey whether they’re “standing” or “walking.’” “The standing-symbol must also have a large red area,” Lauer says, “so it was to our advantage that Marx wasn’t a skinny man.”
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Pic/ZAN/UNSPLASH
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