A device for displaying pictograms in a vehicle wherein the device comprises a
control unit and a display unit, in particular an LCD display unit, the
control unit controlling the display unit, and a method for operating the device, whereina) the display unit is divided into symbol fields (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) which are arranged one next to the other in a row, the
control unit only ever displaying one pictogram in each symbol field simultaneously,b) the control unit always displays in a specific symbol field (2) each new pictogram which is to be displayed in the symbol fields (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) which are arranged one next to the other in a row, and displaces by one symbol field the pictograms which have already been displayed, without changing their order,c) a control element (13) is provided with which a coherent section of the pictograms which are arranged one next to the other in a row can be displayed in the symbol fields of the display unit if more pictograms are to be displayed simultaneously than symbol fields which are present on the display unit.The method includes proposals for operating this device.