DB Logo (DB cookie) 1957 - 1994
After the war, early DB (Deutsche
Bundesbahn) vehicles had no emblem or logo, these did not appear
until the middle of the 1950s when the then head office of the
Deutsche Bundesbahn gave the order to design a logo or emblem as a
trademark for the railway. This logo was popularly called DB-Keks in
the 1980’s, because the outer shape reminded of a well-known
cookie.
The first design in its original form from 1955.
The first draft of the 1955 logo that was proposed by Prof. Eduard Ege.
The Logo was approved by DB in 1955 by head office (by decree of the board of directors of the DB No. 2.823 Anh. 4 of 03.01.1955), and was available on vehicles from 1956.
Some time later, from around 1958 onwards, a larger version was also available, which was then used for the electric locomotives.
The consequent
introduction of the Logo, however, did not begin until 1957.
After
enough were produce and made available, and in the course of the coach class
re-designation (omission of the old 1st class),and all passenger cars
received new numbering.
The DB logo was introduced for
freight wagons from 1970.
For Freight Wagons from 1970 onwards and a valid Logo until 1994.
Wagons that were due to be taken out of service, usually no longer received a Logo.
They only had the
letters DB, dating from the 1950s, as an ownership feature.
1994 to present date.
With the foundation of the DB AG the Logo also
changed.
It was designed by the German graphic designer and
typographer Kurt Weidemann (1922-2011).
From 1994 to the present day.
Weidemann's
logo for the Deutsche Bahn AG looks amazingly similar to a marking
that the Deutsche Bundesbahn used in its early years on its public
service bus lines (at the height of the front bumper and at the
rear).