Löffelfamilie, Neon sign in Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, Leipzig, Germany.
The Löffelfamilie is a neon sign on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße that uses more than 200 meters of glass tubes to depict a family eating dinner with soup bowls. The installation consists of glowing lines forming the figures and table details.
The sign was created in the 1970s after Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito observed the lack of lighting in East German cities during a visit. It was built as a response to encourage better illumination in the urban landscape.
The installation advertises VEB Feinkost Leipzig, a state-owned company in East Germany that produced canned foods and soups. It depicts everyday life and the consumer goods that were part of people's routines back then.
The sign can be activated by sending a text message and making a small contribution, causing the lights to glow for a brief period. It is easily accessible on foot and located on a main street in central Leipzig.
Local residents and business owners have formed an association to preserve this rare East German neon advertisement through visitor donations. It remains one of very few such signs from that era still standing and operational.
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