In the Polish People’s Republic (PRL) Katowice was regarded as Polish Las Vegas. At the end of the 1960s near - ly 800 neon signs illuminated the city streets. Many of them were designed on a grand scale, numerous were original and aesthetically sophistic
In the Polish People’s Republic (PRL) Katowice was regarded as Polish Las Vegas. At the end of the 1960s near - ly 800 neon signs illuminated the city streets. Many of them were designed on a grand scale, numerous were original and aesthetically sophisticated. Some of them covered almost entire façades, like that one on the Pedant department store at 3 Maja street. Some of them gave the impression of being mobile thanks to a sequence of lighting elements. The latter enjoyed particularly great popularity among Katowice residents and for many children an evening trip to the city centre was a considerable attraction, just due to the neon signs. The most liked ones included the Monkeys at 13, 3 Maja street, the neon sign of the Randia tea room with a cloud of steam raising above the pot, or the jumping Filipek at Stawowa street. A great return of light advertisements to Kato - wice, marked by a hundred of new and recon - structed neon signs, inspired the city authorities to create a route dedicated to them. In the very centre of the city there are display units, made specially for this purpose, where interested pe - ople can see a reconstruction of the former neon signs, the most beautiful and best known ones, archive photographs, and an outline of their history.