Seems like they were invented in France in the 70s (I looked it up). I think they started to appear in Germany later than that, about early 2000s.
They are not as common in Germany as in France in my experience. I would rather prefer to visit a german castle than waiting for the Stau to disappear.
In Germany, there's a guideline for a minimum distance between such signs so that they still stand out. Though I have seen a few that were closer than the supposed minimum of 20 or 30 km or so.
"Stau".
International word, now.
The ones in the UK are much more minimalist: logos and symbols rather than detailed drawings.