Gorleben soll leben!
Skat deck produced by opponents of atomic energy and the dumping of radioactive waste.
The small town of Gorleben in Lower Saxony became synonymous with the anti-nuclear movement in the 1970s because of plans to build a national deep geological repository for radioactive waste there, along with interim storage units. This pack formed part of the campaign to stop these projects. The Berliner pattern courts (and the Aces) carry slogans rejecting nuclear power and stating that “Gorleben should live!” Shades of grey and pale red are the only colours used to make the message more effective. The face of the Jack of Clubs is scarily skeletal. This is a skat pack with indices in German. Designer: Arno Waldschmidt. See the box►
Above: “Gorleben soll leben!” (Gorleben shall live!) skat deck printed by A.S.S., Leinfelden, for Merlin Verlag, Hamburg, Germany, 1979. 32 cards + 1 extra card in tuck box. Size: 59 x 91 mm.
By Roddy Somerville
Member since May 31, 2022
Roddy started collecting stamps on his 8th birthday. In 1977 he joined the newly formed playing-card department at Stanley Gibbons in London before setting up his own business in Edinburgh four years later. His collecting interests include playing cards, postcards, stamps (especially playing cards on stamps) and sugar wrappers. He is a Past President of the Scottish Philatelic Society, a former Chairman of the IPCS, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards and Curator of the WCMPC’s collection of playing cards. He lives near Toulouse in France.
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