The green 'Ampelmännchen'

Twenty five years ago since the Berlin wall came down, and I celebrate with a photo of a green  'Ampelmännchen' - little walking green man. My version is a rubber, bought in Berlin in September, but the real versions help people cross streets safely. 

The Ampelmännchen is from East Germany and was designed in 1961.

It was replaced by a western designed 'little green man' when west and east were integrated but then brought back because of nostalgia for things lost and because pedestrians find the East German version of the walking (or stopping) man easier to read than the one designed in the west. Besides which the East German version is charming!

East German Ampelmännchen were re-introduced into Berlin in 2005 and they have become a city icon.