Reichs-Spielkarte

It’s no surprise to find examples of military propaganda on German playing cards from World War I – after all, the conflict was one of the first modern wars. Reichs-Spielkarte is one of three similar decks produced by Altenburger-Spielkartenfabrik S.A.; it’s the only one with French suits (the others use German suits). And it’s got a lot to uncover.

The core of the German Empire was composed of twenty-five constituent realms, the largest of which were the four kingdoms of Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg. Each ace bears the arms and motto of a kingdom: spades – Saxony, hearts – Bavaria, clubs – Prussia, and diamonds – Württemberg. (Curiously, the motto on the Ace of Clubs comes not from the Kingdom of Prussia but rather the Order of the Black Eagle, Prussia’s highest order of chivalry.)

The jacks are key personalities in the German armed forces and government. Paul von Hindenburg (clubs) and Alfred von Tirpitz (spades) were high-ranking figures in the army and navy, respectively, while Ferdinand von Zeppelin (hearts) was a military aviation pioneer and inventor of the eponymous airship; together, they represent land, sea, and air forces. Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg (diamonds), was Germany’s chancellor.

Three of the queens are allegorical figures representing sectors of the home front: agriculture (spades), nursing (hearts – note the Red Cross armband); and science and technology (diamonds). The Queen of Clubs is Empress Augusta Victoria, wife of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Naturally, the emperor, who was also King of Prussia, is the King of Clubs. The King of Diamonds is Duke Albrecht of Württemberg, a member of that kingdom’s royal family and a senior military commander. Likewise, the King of Hearts is Crown Prince Rupprecht, the heir to the throne of Bavaria and another military commander.

Following that pattern, the King of Spades should’ve been someone from the ruling family of Saxony. Instead, it’s Crown Prince Wilhelm, the Kaiser’s heir; Saxony’s monarchs got snubbed in favor of the next in line for the throne. To Wilhelm’s credit, he was also a field commander, at least in name (how much he actually commanded is a matter of debate).

The Seven of Hearts says “Reichs-Patience” and lists the manufacturer’s name. The Seven of Diamonds clarifies that this was a charity deck, used to fund the Luftfahrerdank relief organization for injured aviators and widows and orphans of those who fell.

The back of the cards features the German Imperial Crown with Iron Crosses at the corners. The edges are golden while the joker appears to be the standard version for the manufacturer. The deck is patience-sized; a full version also existed.

To see the related German suits deck, check out Joop Muller’s The War on Cards article (select page 4 at the bottom).