Transport infrastructure with local relevance
On behalf of the city of Offenbach, design student Marie Bünner at the OIMD has designed a special traffic light figure: the “Streichholzkarlchen,” a quirky everyday hero from Offenbach in the 1920s and 1930s. Karl Winterkorn was only 1.30 m tall, chubby, friendly, always in a good mood, and sold matches in apple wine bars around the market square. Since the beginning of 2000, a sculpture of the “Streichholzkarlchen” created by sculptor Judith Quartier has stood on Wilhelmsplatz in Offenbach. Based on the sculpture, Marie Bünner created a traffic light figure that combines the attributes of a suitcase, cap, double-breasted jacket, hand gesture, and matches after various preliminary studies. This commemorates the city’s well-known figure with heart and character and thus also a piece of Offenbach’s history and identity.
In January 2026, the new traffic light figure was unveiled at the intersection of Biebererstraße and Waldstraße (near Wilhelmsplatz).
Type of project • Student project
Supervision • Prof. Peter Eckart, Dipl.-Des. Daniel Rese, Dipl.-Des. Annika Storch
Design • Marie Bünner
Status • completed (realization)
Duration • 06-07/2025, realization 01/2026
