Ampelmännchen (Berlin)

Ampelmännchen means "little traffic light man" in German and was one of the cool little things I learned about in Berlin. Prior to reunification in 1990 East and West Germany had different amplemen. They East German ampleman still exists in Berlin - and for the most part is an easy way to tell if you are in East or West Berlin.

The East German ampleman is so popular there is even an entire store selling everything from clothes to cups to baby bottles to notebooks with amplemen on them. There is even a restaurant in Berlin that is Ampelman-themed. I told Jan I had no interest in going!

The first two photos are from East Berlin; the last is from West Berlin