A display device is provided. The display device comprises a display surface with several segments that can be backlit, which are configured in such a way that, if subsets of the segments are backlit together, a different one of several symbols is in each case depicted by the display surface, a number of light sources corresponding to the number of symbols, a layer structure of several flat light transmitting layers made of a transparent or translucent material, preferably plastic, wherein the light transmitting layers are stacked with the main surfaces facing each other and are in each case configured in such a way that, primarily, light of exactly one of the light sources is transmitted from a narrow side of the light transmitting layer provided for light entrance to another narrow side of the light transmitting layer as a light exit to at least one segment of the associated symbol.