Ampelmännchen
Symbol on German pedestrian crossings
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Interest in “Ampelmännchen” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-25.
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Key Takeaways
- Ampelmännchen ( German: [ˈampl̩ˌmɛnçən] ; literally 'little traffic light man', diminutive of Ampelmann [ampl̩ˈman] ) is the symbol shown on pedestrian signals in Germany.
- The Ampelmännchen is a beloved symbol in former East Germany, "enjoy[ing] the privileged status of being one of the few features of East Germany to have survived the end of the Iron Curtain with his popularity unscathed".
Ampelmännchen (German: [ˈampl̩ˌmɛnçən] ; literally 'little traffic light man', diminutive of Ampelmann [ampl̩ˈman] ) is the symbol shown on pedestrian signals in Germany. Prior to German reunification in 1990, the two German states had different forms of the pedestrian traffic lights, with a generic human figure in West Germany, and a generally "male" figure wearing a hat in the East.
The Ampelmännchen is a beloved symbol in former East Germany, "enjoy[ing] the privileged status of being one of the few features of East Germany to have survived the end of the Iron Curtain with his popularity unscathed". After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Ampelmännchen acquired cult status and became a popular souvenir item in the tourism business.
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