When German traffic psychologist Karl Peglau designed an easy-to-recognize symbol for pedestrian street crossings in East Berlin, he had no idea that it would eventually grow legs of its own. The German Democratic Republic’s Ampelmännchen, or “little street crossing man,” is not your typical tall, stick-like figure. Rather, this stout and somewhat childlike silhouette, with a flat-top cap and a confident stride, is as iconic as he is eye-catching. Over the years, the quirky Ampelmännchen has become a much-loved symbol of “Ostalgie” (East German nostalgia), right alongside the Trabant automobiles…
