Ampelmännchen

Ampelmännchen is a German word meaning: little man on the traffic signal

A little story to lighten the day.

Everyone at some time or other crosses a road via a Pelican crossing as you do, you see a little man in red with arms strecthed out meaning of course don’t cross and then when it is safe a green man appears.

Now, where did the idea originate? The USA? UK? Australia? – no the idea came from Germany; to be precise East Germany otherwise known as the GDR until unification in 1990. apparently invented by Karl Peglau in 1961, he thought the symbol for cross should look friendly hence his design, his little green man wore a hat and he was hesitant the authorities might dislike something that might seem bourgeois but there you are the little green man seen striding in his hat was suitable to be regarded as the strident worker enthusiastically going to work!

So impressed were the East German authorities the little green man became useful for TV driver training programmes. After unification the German authorities sought to standardise east German Ampelmännchen with their own version but the citizens of the former eastern lander objected so the original design stayed. This year the original Ampelmännchen was extended to the western districts of Berlin as the eastern version was believed to be clearer. The idea has also been adapted in at least one town to show female figures instead of a male.

So there you are when next time you cross at a Pelican crossing think of Karl Peglau’s idea. There is even a web site explaining and promoting Ampelmännchen.

Ampelmännchen

Source:the above web site & Wikipedia.

[Halcyon]

Wow, You learn something new everyday.
Its true I would have never thought about this until reading your post, but its these little things that make the world go round.