Elvis Presley comes back to life

What do Germany and Elvis have in common? More than we realised. As a U.S. soldier, Elvis Presley was stationed north of Frankfurt in the 1950s. He lived in Bad Nauheim, a 5 kilometre drive from Friedberg. Each year since 2020, the European Elvis Festival is held in Bad Nauheim. The festival includes a market where Elvis related merchandise (albums and books) can be purchased, there is a classic car exhibition and Elvis movie screenings.

Now, the King of Rock and Roll is illuminating the streets of Germany in the form of traffic lights.

Three pedestrian lights have been installed around Elvis Presley Square in Friedberg. Each set displays a red light with the silhouette of Elvis with his microphone indicating that pedestrians mustn’t walk and a green light displaying the hip swinging rock ‘n roller tells pedestrians it’s safe to cross.

Marion Götz, a local politician confirmed the traffic lights received the approval of the local police department, costing the city about $1,020 (R15,000).