(CNN) — Ah yes, “ze Autobahn”. Few other landmarks represent Germany more than its freeway system. Cologne’s cathedral is distinctively West German, and the TV Tower in Berlin is a GDR feat of engineering, but the Autobahn (literally “car runway”) connects the whole country.

Over the decades, it has morphed from a utilitarian piece of national infrastructure to a cultural icon that has spawned artworks, albums, merchandise around the globe — and even the name of an Irish pub.

But why has…