One of the most iconic neon signs of the former East Germany is the Löffelfamilie (Spoon Family) sign that hung over the People’s-Owned Enterprise (VEB) Delicatessen in the GDR’s capital city of Leipzig.
Dating back to 1973, the sign features a family of four eating their bowls of soup and beckoning anyone looking at the sign to drop in and have a good, hot bowl of soup or eat some nice, nutritious vegetables or fruit!
After Germany’s reunification in 1990, the delicatessen went out of business and the sign fell into disrepair. Its future was uncertain until it underwent a major overhaul in 2009 thanks in large part to a friend’s association who came up with an innovative way of raising funds for overhauling the sign and paying for the costs of keeping it lit.
For €3, anyone who dials the number 0900-LOEFFEL can watch the sign light up for three minutes. So far their fundraising strategy has been a big success!
Links:
- https://gdrobjectified.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/soup-is-good-food-leipzigs-spoon-family-and-neon-signs-in-the-gdr/ (A video of the Spoon Family sign in action at The GDR Objectified blog.)
- https://www.facebook.com/LLWorldTourFBpage/videos/10151304768370876/ (Another video of and info about the Spoon Family sign.)