For over 25 years we’ve had a stand at the world-famous tourism trade fair, and to say that everything has changed since 1996 is an understatement. And yet an element of the urban landscape has remained the same – do you know the Ampelmann?and yet an element of the urban landscape has remained the same – do you know the Ampelmann?
Designed in 1961, the Ampelmann, the little character typical of East Germany that tells pedestrians when to pass and when to wait, was a huge commercial success. When the country was reunited in 1990, it was replaced by the Western icon. However, East Berliners teamed up with entrepreneur Marcus Heckhausen and his creator Karl Peglau to save it. In 2005, the city adopted the Ampelmann in former West Berlin as its traffic light icon.
