The existence of several German states and their varying fortunes is reflected in the different patterns still used in these areas today.īut just as these states have become engulfed in the whole, so the cards are doing the same thing and regional differences are disappearing. It was not until the late 17th century that packs with French suits were made and during the eighteenth century German card-makers excelled with their imaginative and artistic approach to card design. In a true German pack a second Knave is substituted for the Queen, the two Knaves being called Obermann and Untermann (abbreviated into Ober and Unter), and the 2 ( Daus) takes the place of the Ace. Gradually standardisation occurred and today the German national suit marks are: Hearts ( Herzen), Bells ( Schellen), Leaves ( Laub) and Acorns ( Eicheln). Playing cards in Germany first appeared with several different archaic suit systems involving a variety of everyday objects including flowers, animals, hunting equipment or coats of arms. During the sixteenth century wood-block playing cards evolved so that miniatureīurlesque scenes decorated the lower half of each card. Many of these packs have survived as precious objets d'art. Practised their art and engraved playing cards reached a zenith. During the second half of the fifteenth century a succession of masterly German engravers To begin with most cards were made in the south in cities suchĪs Augsburg, Munich, Nuremberg and Ulm. The names of bothĬard-makers and card-painters are recorded, many of whom were women. From 1392 there are many references to playing cards in the guild books and registers of German towns. Cards are mentioned in the archives of Nuremberg between the years 1380Īnd 1384. Rheinfelden from Basle wrote an allegory on the pack of cards. In the same year the Dominican monk Johannes von Probably spreading northwards across the Alps, card playing reached Basle in 1377. Germans have varied their pips perhaps more than any other people.Ībove: archaic German-suited playing cards manufactured by Georg Kapfler, dated 1611. The red suits were, and still are, hearts of the conventional shape and hawk bells. The pips of one green suit were acorns, and of the other, leaves. Suits were divided into two colors, green and red. The suit symbols are: acorns, bells, birds and flowers.īeinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University: GER sheet 249 ► German packs were produced with a variety of suit symbols and great freedom ofĪbove: archaic German cards by Heinrich Hauk, dated 1585. Which now can be regarded as an early example of popular art. Throughout their long history the quantity and quality of German cards has been outstanding.Ĭard playing caught on rapidly in medieval Bavaria and German printers were quick to respond to the demand with a prodigious range of output Collecting English Playing Cards & Games. Standard and Non-standard Playing Cards.
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