I don't know how many of you are familiar with the story of the East German traffic light man? When Germany was (re-)unified, West Germany wanted to impose their systems everywhere in East Germany including on the semiotic landscape of traffic. They wanted to get rid of East German signage and introduce a standardised sign. However the old East Germans protested ... and won!! They got to keep their little man.
For me this says something powerful about signs. Traffic signs in particular are about more than just literal navigation, they say something about who we are in the way they say what they have to say. (if you see what I mean). The East German Ampelmaennchen has more humanity than his West German counterpart and I can't help feeling that this is what a lot of people from former East Germany would say about the society they lived in before the Wall came down, despite the inequities of the actual system. So no wonder they fought for their man.
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=53&story_id=21927