Dortmund's Puppet Theater Teaches Kids Road Safety for Over 20 Years
A small but influential theatre in Dortmund has been teaching children road safety for over two decades. The Traffic Puppet Theater in Westfalenpark first opened its doors in 2002, building on a long tradition of police-led puppet shows in schools. Its unique approach has since inspired similar projects across Germany.
The theatre's origins trace back to the 1960s, when Dortmund police officers began touring schools with a mobile puppet stage. For more than 40 years, they performed traffic safety lessons before establishing a permanent venue in Westfalenpark. The concept was the first of its kind in the country when it launched in 2002.
Today, the programme welcomes school classes and kindergarten groups from primary schools and daycare centres. Children take part in interactive plays and hands-on road traffic exercises, all supervised by the district's public order office. In 2025 alone, nearly 16,000 young visitors attended performances.
The model's success has led to its adoption in eight other cities and regions. Bochum, Essen, Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Oberhausen, Hagen, Krefeld and Münster have all set up their own traffic puppet theatres based on Dortmund's approach.
The Traffic Puppet Theater remains a key part of road safety education in Germany. Its mix of storytelling and practical training continues to reach thousands of children each year. The programme's influence now extends well beyond its original home in Dortmund.
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