100 years of traffic light: How Berlin revolutionized traffic!

100 years of traffic light: How Berlin revolutionized traffic!

Potsdamer Platz, 10117 Berlin, Deutschland - Berlin is a city full of history, and while we stroll through its streets, there are many distractions. But one of the most inconspicuous but most important elements of our urban interaction, the traffic lights, recently celebrated a remarkable anniversary: ​​it is 100 years old. On October 20, 1924, a revolutionary invention was set up at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, which still shapes our everyday life and had a decisive influence on traffic safety.

The first traffic lights had a direct influence on the cityscape and mobility in Berlin. Before the introduction of the traffic lights, traffic in the rapidly growing city was chaotic. The police tried to steer the road users with hand signals and whistles. But this uncertainty had come to an end when the so -called traffic storm was installed. The tower not only offered a visual order, but also reduced the need for police officers who previously had to regulate traffic.

technological progress and initial challenges

The traffic storm was a technical masterpiece of the time and gave the impetus to develop modern light signal systems. As early as 1926, the first centrally controlled light signal system led to considerable disturbances than all traffic lights switched to green at the same time. These problems led to innovative solutions, such as the "green wave", to be developed to optimize the flow of traffic and to avoid future chaos situations.

The history of the traffic signals is an exciting debate between different cities. While Berlin proudly refers to the first electrical traffic light to regulate the entire traffic without trouble, Hamburg boasts with the first light sign in Europe, which was installed in 1922 on Stephanplatz. Originally, this system only served the regulation of tram traffic, but both cities have made significant progress in the traffic regulation.

an international invention

Before the modern traffic lights existed, other countries also tried to solve the traffic problem. The first gas light was installed in London in 1868, and although it quickly became a security risk, she laid the foundation for later developments. The British railway manager John Peak Knight developed a system that was reminiscent of the railway signal to better steer the city's chaotic traffic.

in the USA operated the first electrically operated traffic light to use an acoustic signal provider to inform drivers and pedestrians about the various traffic signals. Although the thought was innovative, the loud city life quickly turned out to be an obstacle to the understandability of these signals.

Berlin, as a pioneer for the introduction of the traffic signals, continues to look back in history with a modern replica in the same point at Potsdamer Platz with a modern replica. This place not only symbolizes the progress that has been made in the area of ​​traffic technology, but also reminds us of the challenges that led to further development.

The traffic light remains an indispensable part of urban life, and its 100th anniversary is not only a look back at the past, but also an outlook on future developments in urban planning and traffic technology. The legacy of the first traffic lights and constant further development show how technological innovation has influenced our lifestyle and will continue to influence.