Andy's Playing Cards - Germany and Central Europe

In northern patterns only pip cards from 7 to 10 have small indices in the corners, and only the numeral is featured (i.e. not the tiny suit sign). In southern patterns, instead, all subjects have full indices. The letters for German names are used, namely "K", "O", "U", but the daus has "A", as if the subject was an ace. Instead, the size of the cards in both northern and southern patterns is similar: they are thinner and longer than a classic international deck. Few exceptions are known; for instance, ASS printed a Sächsicher Bild also in a Poker-sized edition (picture below right), wider and shorter than other decks, and with indices that follow the southern scheme, despite the pattern belongs to the northern group.	Württembergisches Bild (by A.S.S., Germany)

A particular detail of the Württembergisches Bild is that the ober knaves are featured on horseback: these personages clearly sprang from the German Tarock, but are curiously even more reminiscent of the horses (i.e. the cavaliers) found in Italian and Spanish decks, which share their same rank.

With the exception of the aforesaid Württembergisches Bild, in all German-suited patterns the 10s are marked with an X (roman numeral), placed in a central position above the main illustration.

In early decks of the 15th-16th century made in this country, the subject worth 10 used to feature a flag (as Swiss cards still do); having survived, although only as a faint trace, this distinctive detail seems to suggest that many centuries earlier, in early German card games the 10s might have had a special importance. 10s from the single-headed Sächsisches Bild, Preussisches Bild and Fränkisches Bild	Fränkisches Bild (by A.S.S., Germany)

In early decks of the 15th-16th century made in this country, the subject worth 10 used to feature a flag (as Swiss cards still do); having survived, although only as a faint trace, this distinctive detail seems to suggest that many centuries earlier, in early German card games the 10s might have had a special importance.

10s from the single-headed Sächsisches Bild,
Preussisches Bild and Fränkisches Bild

Fränkisches Bild (by A.S.S., Germany)

The cards from Bavaria (Bayerisches Bild) are the ones most closely connected to the ancestor of all present southern patterns, the Altbayerisches Bild, mentioned in page 1. They maintained many specific details of the early illustrations, and were the latest to change scheme from single-headed to double-headed. They are used in the whole south-east of the country, and are probably the German-suited pattern produced by the largest number of manufacturers. They even developed two varieties, which differ by a number of details, and are labelled as the Stralsund type and the München type, after the hometowns of the manufacturers Spielkartenfabrik Altenburg and F.X.Schmid, respectively (the former located in the far north, the latter in the south of the country).	Bayerisches Bild, München variety (by F.X.Schmid, Germany)

The cards from Bavaria (Bayerisches Bild) are the ones most closely connected to the ancestor of all present southern patterns, the Altbayerisches Bild, mentioned in page 1. They maintained many specific details of the early illustrations, and were the latest to change scheme from single-headed to double-headed. They are used in the whole south-east of the country, and are probably the German-suited pattern produced by the largest number of manufacturers. They even developed two varieties, which differ by a number of details, and are labelled as the Stralsund type and the München type, after the hometowns of the manufacturers Spielkartenfabrik Altenburg and F.X.Schmid, respectively (the former located in the far north, the latter in the south of the country).

Bayerisches Bild, München variety (by F.X.Schmid, Germany)

Their main differences are listed in the table below, and are illustrated in the following pictures.

MÜNCHEN TYPE	STRALSUND TYPE
two kings are shaven, two wear a moustache;	all four kings wear beards and moustaches;
*the Ober* knave of Acorns holds an oval shield bearing a cross, while his sword points either upwards or downwards;**	*the Ober* knave of Acorns holds a triangular shield bearing a radiant sun (rather stylized in some editions), while his sword points either upwards or downwards;**
*the Unter* knave of Acorns looks downwards, pointing his finger in the same direction;**	*the Unter* knave of Acorns turns his head to the right;**
*in the daus* of Acorns, the upper half of the large cask on which the child is seated is visible;**	*in the daus* of Acorns, only a corner of the large cask on which the child is seated is visible;**
the pips of the 9 and 10 of Hearts are all red.	the central pips of the 9 and 10 of Hearts are yellow and blue.

SPIELKARTEN		PLAYING CARDS
SPIEL	game	DECK
FARBE	colours	SUITS
EICHEL		ACORNS
LAUB (GRÜN) (SCHIPPE)	(green) (spades)	LEAVES
SCHELLEN		BELLS
HERZ (ROT)	(red)	HEARTS
KARO	square	DIAMONDS
KREUZ	cross	CLUBS
PIK	pike	SPADES
DAUS	deuce	ACE (German-suited decks)
AS		ACE (French-suited decks)
UNTER	below	LOW RANK KNAVE
OBER	over	HIGH RANK KNAVE
BUBE		JACK
DAME	lady	QUEEN
KÖNIG		KING