Festival of lights

Also this year, the Festival of lights will turn Berlin into a sparkling metropolis with a firework of illuminations and events for two weeks from 14th to 26th October. World-famous historical landmarks and spots in Berlin, for example the Brandenburg Gate, the TV or radio tower, will be staged impressively by means of light, events, projections and fireworks. Complementary to the festival there will be numerous cultural events dealing with the subject “light”. Here can you find all details. It’s not that cold outside and if you decide to do the tour, I would recommend to make by bicycle. It keeps you warm (not bad), easy to park (not bad at all) and you can travel easily fast in the city (not bad at all indeed). Don’t forget to stop as well in some cafés to have a drink but be aware that if you’re taken drunk riding your bike, you will get a fine and less points on your driving license. Why not creating your own event, making your journey through the city center (mainly where everything is) decorated with lights ? let’s have enlightened ideas ! light man, for example : Ampelmann, symbol of the traffic light in the city. There is still in some streets some difference with this little green (walk) and red (don’t walk) guy. In the “west” he stands still when he looks happy to walk in the “east” The East German pedestrian traffic light symbols, or‚ ampel men’ are Berlin born and bred. They came into being on October 13th 1961 when, in response to the growing threat of road traffic accidents, the traffic psychologist, Karl Peglau, introduced the first pedestrian signals to the GDR capital. And so the vehicle traffic light, which had directed traffic alone up to that point, was joined by the pedestrian traffic light. Its design was psychologically conceived, because road-users react more quickly to appealing symbols. Following reunification, the ampel men were supposed to disappear along with many other things from everyday East German life. The West German authorities, politicians and traffic engineers were critical of the little men on the East German traffic lights. In 1994 work started on replacing them with the west or euro traffic light man. The bureaucrats did not care that the arguments against the signal only concerned the defect of the antiquated electronics and not the symbols themselves. A resistance movement evolved. Under the slogan, “we are the people”, committed citizens strove to prevent the abolition of the last remaining symbol of East German daily life. The “committee for the preservation of ampel men” was founded. With many creative protest actions it succeeded in drawing greater attention to the comical figures. And when the media also joined the campaign, politicians and authorities could no longer avoid entering into objective discussions. The advantages of the ampel man, such as the clear symbolic and his wide-spread acceptance could no longer be denied. And due to his stocky figure, large head and hat, the illuminated surface of the East ampel man was almost double that of his western competitor. This made him more recognizable, which is particularly important for children. In 1997 It became clear that the beloved East German ampel men had been saved and would retain their place in the urban landscape. Then started the ampel woman story.