Elvis Presley is ready to help pedestrians rock ‘n’ roll across the street in the western German town of Friedberg near Frankfurt. Three traffic lights featuring the “King’s” image have been placed around the town’s Elvis Presley Square to commemorate the singer. While people are waiting to cross, the singer appears in the red light striking a pose at a microphone. When the lights go green, Elvis is shown swinging his hips in a famous dance move. The town paid about €900 for the lights as an extra attraction for tourists. Presley had a strong connection with Friedberg, where he was stationed from October 1958 until March 1960 while serving as a soldier in the US Army and met his future wife, Priscilla Beaulieu.
Bad Nauheim, where Elvis lived during his time in Friedberg, also holds significance in his life and is planning a bronze statue of him. It has been a site of pilgrimage for Elvis’ fans, who leave candles, flowers, and gifts at his memorial. The new traffic lights in Friedberg are part of a trend in Germany of transforming traffic lights into cultural icons. The most famous example is the Ampelmännchen in Berlin, created in 1961 in what was then East Berlin. Other cities like Augsburg, Mainz, Bonn, Trier, and Erfurt have their own unique traffic light designs.
The decision to install the Elvis Presley traffic lights in Friedberg took three months of approval from the police and collaboration with a local graphic designer. The positive reactions to the lights include descriptions such as “good idea,” “witty,” and “something a little different.” While some may have been skeptical at first, people have adapted to the new lights and continue to cross the street on green. The town of Bad Nauheim holds an ‘European Elvis Festival’ and keeps the memory of Elvis alive, who died in 1977, through various events and tributes.
