Traffic compass
| Television broadcast | |
|---|---|
| German title | Traffic compass |
| Country of production | GDR |
| Year (s) | 1969-1990 |
| Production company |
DEFA studio for documentaries |
| length | about 5 minutes |
| Episodes | 879 + approx. 60 child episodes |
| genre | documentation |
| idea | Manfred Gussmann |
| production | Friedrich Rochow, Ulrich Kluck |
| First broadcast | 02/17/1969 on GDR 1 |
| occupation | |
|
Traffic offender Meier: Günter Schubert | |
Verkehrskompaß was a series of films about traffic education , which was mainly broadcast on television in the GDR and was produced by the DEFA studio for documentary films on behalf of the Ministry of the Interior of the GDR, the main traffic police department and the GDR State Insurance Company from 1969 to 1990. The first episode aired on February 17, 1969.
broadcast
The traffic compass consisted of five-minute short films with advice on road safety and was designed as a counterpart to the West German series Der 7th Sense . The program was financed by the GDR State Insurance Company . The films were later shown not only on television but also at training events for the traffic police.
A total of 879 episodes were created, 296 of them in black and white (until 1974). The directors were Friedrich Rochow (born January 8, 1938 in Jena ) and Ulrich Kluck (born May 23, 1923 in Bütow ).
In collaboration with Heinz and Liselotte Busse (text) and Bernd Wefelmeyer (music), around 80 traffic compass episodes were created under the title Gestatten, Meier . The popular actor Günter Schubert took part in dramatized scenes as the "average traffic offender " Meier. Meier's final sentence was typical of these episodes:
"I
certainly don't want to do that again!"
The show has won several awards. Verkehrskompaß received medals of merit and awards from the Ministry of the Interior, won the Grand Prize at the International Festival for Traffic Educational Films in Zagreb and Karlovy Vary and was honored with the Theodor Körner Prize of the GDR.
Booties and compass calves
In addition to the films for adults, there were also 60 episodes for children that were broadcast in the series Our Sandman - with the children's characters Stiefelchen and Kompaß-Kalle. They contributed significantly to the fame of the traffic light symbol Ampelmännchen . The first episode of the Children's Traffic Compass aired on November 19, 1984. After a cartoon introduction, children were shown in short real-life films how they should behave safely as road users. The Sandman series was also awarded the Grand Prize at the International Festival for Traffic Educational Films in Karlovy Vary in 1986 .
The rhymes from the opening and closing sequence came from the poet and children's book author Nils Werner.
Title rhyme:
Booties and compass calves
are children like all of you.
I, the green traffic light man,
am a friend who can help.
But my friend in red also
helps you out of so many need.
I kindly take off my hat.
Go do your thing well!
Rhyme of the green Ampelmännchen and at the same time the final sentence of each broadcast:
That's right, that's good,
I take off my hat in a friendly manner.
Learn like woof, the little dog.
Take care and stay healthy.
The background music for the Sandman episodes came from Reinhard Lakomy .
Others
In addition to the traffic compass, there was also an advice program for road users on GDR television. The traffic magazine was broadcast every two weeks in the first program until 1991. The program Fahrpause was produced from 1969 to 1973 as an accompanying magazine to the traffic compass .
One of the directors of the traffic compass, Friedrich Rochow, was the guest of honor in November 2011 at the opening of the Ampelmuseum in Berlin on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Ampelmännchen. After the end of the program Rochow worked for the RTL telecast emergency and turned documentaries on the new construction and renovation of motorways as part of the transport project German unit on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Transport .
Web links
- Sandman historical calendar
- Verkehrskompaß in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ Letter from DEFA Studios to the Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved August 16, 2012 .
- ^ History of the German Police 1961-1975, Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften Berlin 1982, page 351
- ^ A b c d e Friedrich Rochow on his work in the DEFA studio for documentary films. Retrieved August 16, 2012 .
- ^ Report on the opening of the traffic light exhibition. Retrieved August 16, 2012 .