Illustration of the traffic signs in the German Reich before 1910

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The illustration of the traffic signs in the German Reich before 1910 shows traffic signs in the German Reich during the German Empire until the implementation of the resolutions of the first international conference on the standardization of automobile traffic , which was held in Paris in 1909 . Since there were regional initiatives for setting up traffic signs before 1908 - the year of the first nationwide regulations - these are hereby presented.

background

Regional considerations and edicts

Even before the advent of automobile traffic, country-specific warning signs were common throughout Germany

In the 19th century, general warning signs had become common on the state roads of the German states. They had replaced older warning notices, which were often chiseled on stone pillars and, in addition to the warning notice, often indicated the punishment to be expected if they were ignored. Even after the establishment of the Reich in 1871, the regulations on warning signs remained a matter for the federal states. Due to constantly changing legislation, these early traffic signs were constantly adapted in accordance with the amendments. In doing so, attention was often paid to simplifying and reducing the provisions that would become redundant after a while. For example, on August 26, 1870 in the Kingdom of Bavaria a resolution by the State Ministry of Commerce and Public Works was published, according to which older warning signs had to be removed because they were no longer in accordance with the updated Police Penal Code. Boards should now only be set up in a few safety-relevant places. The points on the state roads to be secured in this way concerned downhill drives where a wheel shoe , wheel slip locks or braking devices had to be put on, bridges with special traffic guidelines and places where there was a risk of black ice where snow chains were required under the Police Act. The cast-iron warning signs should be kept simple and memorable about going downhill. In addition to the symbol of a cycling shoe, only the signature “Einhemmstelle” had to be affixed, whereas the police law text had to be visible on bridges.

With the advent of motor vehicle traffic in the German Empire at the end of the 19th century, the need for traffic signs that were intended to warn vehicle drivers of dangers also increased. At this time, however, there were no uniform rules for the design and installation of traffic signs, so that these were usually ordered by the local police. Between 1900 and 1903, the first country-specific stipulations for warning signs were made in ministerial decrees and higher presidential ordinances, which the vehicle driver had to observe.

At the 5th German Automobile Day, which opened on August 18, 1904 in Breslau , a model was discussed that provided only a single warning sign for all automobile traffic in Germany. At that time, two strands of interest became clear. Some preferred the warning signs already common in international motor racing, while others spoke out in favor of national regulations. The early international characters came from the pen of the French Association Generale Automobile . This had already presented a total of 16 traffic signs in 1902. In Germany, those responsible wanted to reduce this "forest of signs" to a minimum right from the start. The international agreement of 1909 was then limited to four traffic signs. As a result of the automobile day of 1904, the German automobile clubs and associations took the initiative. In the spring of 1905, the German Automobile Association began to set up warning signs in the vicinity of Berlin.

Preparation of national regulations

On the basis of a cartel decision and taking into account the suggestions of the tourist commission of the Imperial Automobile Club from 1906, this club brought its considerations into play in 1907, with only seven warning signs - taken from the list of international warning signs - pointing to dangerous bends and uneven ground , Indicate level crossings and crossings. The boards should be 47 × 57 centimeters in size and have white symbols on a black background. It was recommended to set up the boards at a distance of 500 meters from the danger zone. Government agencies responded positively. The project was funded by the Prussian Interior Minister (May 24, 1907) and the Rhenish High President (June 5, 1907). The Grand Ducal Mecklenburg-Strelitzer Official Gazette announced in the same year: “The proposed procedure must be described as appropriate and desirable in the general interest of traffic.” By autumn 1907, the declaration of intent of the Imperial Automobile Club had been published in many official gazettes. Although the club's initiative was announced by many state publications, its implementation was also different in the various countries of the empire due to the state structures at the time.

Germany-wide implementation

Even at the beginning of 1908, the project of the Imperial Automobile Club was still more a topic of discussion than a feasible reality, but that year the Prussian Ministerial Gazette, for example , initiated the decree of July 16, 1908, regarding automobile traffic on roads . It has now been stipulated that traffic signs are only to be set up where it is absolutely necessary. The use of traffic signs was prohibited in built-up areas, with the exception of the warning sign for gutters or deepening. The signs should be set up at least 250 and not more than 300 meters from the danger zone. Immediately afterwards, the automobile clubs and associations set up the first signs that were valid throughout Germany at a rapid pace. With the Paris resolutions of 1909, however, this development was soon taken in a new direction.

It quickly became apparent that it could not just stick with the seven warning signs. For example, signs with speed limits (for example: motor vehicles 15 km ) were put up by local authorities on selected roads or road sections .

Barrier boards

Cast iron warning board to secure level crossings of the royal privileged Ludwigs-Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft from the second half of the 19th century

Around 1870, in many countries of the German Empire, a mandatory decree for police road closures was enforced. The first traffic signs of today's type in Germany were based on these closures, which could be complete or limited. In order to ensure legal protection, the railway companies in particular began early on to set up warning signs with frequently standardized information to secure level crossings. The official police class for the closures had to be posted in a weatherproof manner and in written form. There was a public notice obligation, whereby the motorist had to be able to read the respective regulations from the car while driving. The pioneers of the public attack were Hessen-Nassau , Rhine Province , Waldeck , Baden , Bavaria and Württemberg . If, on the basis of these police-issued signs, a driver drove on a route marked as blocked, he could be prosecuted, on the other hand he would not be punished if the attack was not made. This was a first step towards more legal security for drivers and the police. According to a judicial decision of November 1899, no charioteer should be able to excuse himself that he had not seen the attack in the dark, since, according to the court, it was the driver's duty to find out in advance how he was going. This very general judgment remained controversial for experts, as it was doubtful whether, for example, a board that was not visible in the dark could be considered a public sign. Here at the beginning of the 20th century, experts are waiting for a future ordinance that should bring legal security for the time of darkness. In this context, the introduction of the first real traffic signs for automobiles by the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein was an important step.

Until shortly before the end of the 19th century, it was common practice for many railway companies to set up two signs on either side of the road in front of railway crossings: a stop and a warning sign. The smaller stop or marker posts should be set up 12 to 15 meters away from the crossing, the warning sign with the detailed text of the police law about behavior at the crossings was to be installed near the rails. It was stipulated that when the barrière was closed, carts and herds of cattle had to wait at the stop board. The stop panels were originally made of wood and were painted with white oil paint and described with black paint. The markings of the larger warning panels were opposed to white canvas or canvas printed and nailed to wood. The warning sign was suspected to protect against the weather. Around 1870, the railway companies started to make the panels out of iron, as the wooden panels weathered relatively quickly. Since the end of 1894, the stop and warning signs have been abolished on all royal Prussian lines of the state railway and replaced by only two warning signs - one on each side of the railway line. These contained two standardized, different texts and, depending on the text content, had to be attached at crossings with and without barriers. In addition to these two panels, there was also a third, seldom used panel with a different text. From 1897, the Prussian requirements also applied to the Grand Ducal Hessian State Railways , which then merged with Prussia to form the Prussian-Hessian Railway Community.

1906

Prussia

Schleswig-Holstein

In Schleswig-Holstein the following signs were ordered on January 26, 1906. They should be painted bright yellow and have white borders. The inscription was to be kept in black. If further traffic restrictions (stopping, switching off the engine, etc.) were ordered, these should, if there was no more space on the boards, be visible on separate boards below. As the official presentation of the tablets shows, no typographical standards were set. With the first amendment to the Automobile Traffic Regulations on February 3, 1910, three new traffic signs were introduced throughout the Kingdom of Prussia , which, among other things, replaced the Schleswig-Holstein signs prescribed in 1906.

  • Traffic ban for motor vehicles

  • Walking speed for motor vehicles

  • Drive carefully

General

In the Prussian provinces, on September 6, 1906, a police ordinance on the traffic with motor vehicles was enacted, in which the setting up of boards for speed limits was made possible. This ordinance came into force on October 1, 1906 and replaced the ordinance of November 13, 1901.

The introduction of Latin block letters at the Royal Prussian and Grand Ducal Hessian State Railways in 1906 caused a typographical revolution - initially limited to the railways sector . This font formed the basis of DIN 1451 , which became a pre-standard from 1931 and a standard from 1936 is an integral part of signage in traffic areas to this day.

  • Warning sign for crossings with barriers, as it was used in the typographical version from 1906

  • Warning sign for crossings without barriers, as it was used in the typographical version from 1906

  • Warning sign for crossings on branch lines with constant automatic ringing

1907

The warning signs of the Imperial Automobile Club established in 1907 as a basis for discussion and officially put up in the German states from 1908. With the ratification of the internationally agreed warning signs in 1909 on March 1, 1910, the setting up of these 0.47 × 0.57 meter large signs became obsolete again.

  • Warning sign 1
    Dangerous left turn

  • Warning sign 2
    Dangerous right turn

  • Warning sign 3
    Gully or depression

  • Warning sign 4
    humps

  • Warning board 5
    level crossing

  • Warning board 6
    intersection

  • Warning board 7
    double curve

Curbstones (guiding devices)

Curbstone with metal rod, rectangular design

To equip many roads curbstones or Abweissteine that make up that belonged in the 18th century delineators developed. Like these, curbstones and railings were increasingly kept in white or black and white by regional arrangements towards the end of the 19th century. Due to the different police regulations across Germany regarding the size and design of these road markings, relatively uniform dimensions were established early on. In the "Handbook of the entire road construction in cities" from 1881 and in "The road and path construction in its full scope" from 1882 (dimensions in brackets), the dimensions that were largely applicable to the early 20th century are already mentioned. The square or round workpiece should have a diameter of around 0.30 meters at its visible base and protrude 1.0 to 1.20 meters (1.0 to 1.50 meters) above the top of the ground. Towards the top, at its tip, the stone should taper somewhat so that it had a diameter of 0.20 to 0.25 meters there. The stones, which are buried 0.60 to 1.0 meters deep, should be “well worked”, stand at a distance of 2.50 to 3.0 meters (2.50 to 6.0 meters) and be connected with an iron bar. The iron bars could have a square or triangular design, or they could have a round cross-section. This type of street furnishing was described as "expensive". As described in the two works mentioned and elsewhere, the curbstones already functioned as guide devices. The driver or early motorist should be kept on the road if visibility is poor or for other reasons. Curbstones and wooden barriers could separate the footpaths from the streets. In addition, the curbstones could secure difficult and dangerous passages. In the cities, with the cast iron industry in the 19th century, metal posts appeared which, like the stone curbstones, often separated the footpath from the traffic with chains. During the second half of the 19th century, this separation was almost always taken over by the higher-lying sidewalks.

literature

  • Dietmar Fack: Automobiles, traffic and education. Motorization and socialization between acceleration and adaptation 1885–1945. Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2000, ISBN 3810023868

Web links

Commons : Historic traffic signs in Germany  - collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Warning and cycling shoe boards on the state roads regarding In: Royal Bavarian District Official Gazette of Upper Bavaria , No. 76, September 2, 1870. Col. 1875–1877.
  2. ↑ a b c Dietmar Fack: Automobiles, traffic and education. Motorization and socialization between acceleration and adaptation 1885–1945. Leske + Budrich, Opladen 2000, ISBN 3810023868 , p. 167.
  3. ↑ Michael Schnippering: From the warning sign to the road traffic sign - to the signage of level crossings . In: The Museum Railway. Magazine for the history of small trains. 2, 2013, pp. 28–33, here: p. 30.
  4. ↑ a b The introduction of international automobile warning signs . In: Der Motorwagen , Volume 1, 1907, p. 163.
  5. ↑ Grand Ducal Mecklenburg-Strelitzer Official Gazette for Legislation and State Administration 1907, p. 274.
  6. ↑ For example: Concerning the installation of warning signs for motor vehicles to mark particularly dangerous road points by the Imperial Automobile Club. In: Government Gazette for Mecklenburg-Schwerin , September 1907. p. 243.
  7. ^ Order of July 16, 1908, regarding automobile traffic on roads . In: Ministerial-Blatt for the entire internal administration in the royal Prussian states , 69, 1908, pp. 17–168.
  8. ↑ Automobil-Rundschau , 8, 1909, p. 61.
  9. ↑ Martin Isaac (ed.): The law of the automobile according to the police regulations at home and abroad. Main features of the Federal Council of May 3, 1906. Vahlen, Berlin 1907, pp. 205–207.
  10. ↑ Edmund Heusinger von Waldegg (Ed.): Handbook for specielle Eisenbahn-Technik , Vol. 1, Der Eisenbahnbau., Engelmann, Leipzig 1870, pp. 371–373.
  11. ↑ a b c d Ferdinand Loewe, Hermann Zimmermann (Ed.): Handbuch der Ingenieurwissenschaften in five volumes , Vol. 4, Der Eisenbahnbau., Engelmann, Leipzig 1913, p. 85.
  12. ↑ Martin Isaac (ed.): The law of the automobile according to the police regulations at home and abroad. Basic features of the Federal Council of May 3, 1906. Vahlen, Berlin 1907, p. 207.
  13. ^ Police ordinance on the traffic with motor vehicles . In: Official Gazette of the Royal Government at Cassel 38, Wednesday September 19, 1906, pp. 313–326; here: p. 313.
  14. ^ Police ordinance on the traffic with motor vehicles . In: Official Gazette of the Royal Government at Cassel 38, Wednesday September 19, 1906, pp. 313–326; here: p. 318.
  15. ↑ Federal Council Ordinance on the Use of Motor Vehicles of February 3, 1910 . In: Reichsgesetzblatt No. 5, 1910, p. 389 ff.
  16. ↑ see for example: The police ordinances applicable to the Münster administrative district in connection with the provisions of the Reich and Land law , Coppenrath, Münster 1908, p. 732.
  17. ↑ a b Richard Krüger: Handbook of the entire road construction in cities. For practical use by engineers etc. municipal authorities as well as for self-study for students of road construction . Hermann Costenoble, Jena, 1881, p. 478.
  18. ^ Georg Osthoff: Road and path construction in all its scope . Scholtze, Leipzig 1882, p. 241.
  19. ↑ Eduard Wiebe (arrangement): About the cleaning and drainage of the city of Berlin . Staatsdruckerei, Berlin 1861. p. 103.