Story of the Berlin Traffic Light People

Ampelmann and Ampelfrau Introduce the Topic

Once upon a time in a country that doesn't exist today but did up until 25 years ago there lived a traffic psychologist. The traffic psychologist was named Karl Peglau and the country was the German Democratic Republic (DDR in German). Karl was a very good draftsman and also a good traffic psychologist and he thought about how he could make the figures on the traffic lights for Walk and Don't Walk more compelling so people wouldn't constantly cross against the light. In 1961, he presented his Ampelmann figure to the city government in East Berlin. East Germany not being known for the speed of its decision making, especially in such practical matters, it took them a few years to agree to adopt Ampelmann, but in 1969 they began installing them in the Berlin traffic lights. The figures were so good at their job that they were promoted throughout the DDR and soon practically every city in East Germany had them.

In 1989, the Berlin Wall fell and the DDR was no more. All things Western being trendy and preferred to the old East Germany way, the traffic lights from the West began to appear in the East. But the Western traffic lights lacked the vigorous character of the Ampelmann, as you can see from this picture below:

Ampelmann thought this guy looked something like a cross between Hulk Hogan and a stick figure.

One day, Markus Heckhausen began noticing that the Ampelmaenner were disappearing and decided to take some action. he designed a lamp with Ampelmann figures on it, and together with Karl Peglau, the traffic psychologist who designed Ampelmann, they founded a company called Ampelmann in Berlin that made products for Ampelmann fans around the world. They petitioned the government and soon the Ampelmann figure began to be deployed in the West as well as its traditional home in the East.

Diversity being important in modern Germany, the traffic department in Zwickau deployed Ampelfrau in 2004:

After much debate, Berlin declined to deploy the Ampelfrau, designed in 1996 by Hans-Jürgen Ellenberger, because the amount of light through the skirt was too bright. Dresden later also deployed the Ampelfrau and discussion was underway in Dortmund whether to deploy it also, though some feminists thought a picture with braids and a skirt was perhaps too old fashion.

Though the future of Ampelfrau as a companion for Ampelmann seems still under discussion, in any case, the future of Ampelmann seems assured now. He will continue signaling people when it is safe to cross the intersection.

Story of Ampelmann from Ampelmann Co.
Picture of Ampelfraw in Zwickau from Wikipedia.com
Ampelmann and Ampelfrau pictures from mytbs.org