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GALLERY INDEX ~~ Gallery 13 ~~ GLOSSARY
Regional Cards
Austria

The cards used for Austrian traditional games are the same
"Four Seasons" (or Tell) decks used in the Czech Republic and in
Hungary, a pattern locally known as Doppeldeutsche ("double
German").

But Austrian editions also include a peculiar subject called the

WELI, which is usually not found in the aforesaid countries. The
card is the 6 of Bells: it features this word in black letters, but it
also shows the Acorns and Hearts suit sign: in certain games the
WELI acts as a joker. In fact, fewer editions have 33 cards, made
of four suits with eight cards each (7 to 10, plus the three courts
and the daus, like a Skat deck), and the WELI as a further
additional card.

In Austrian packs the names of the seasons are often

spelled above the central picture, obviously in German.
Also ober and under knaves bear the names of characters
from the play "Wilhelm Tell", while the four mounted
Kings are nameless.

Besides the Doppeldeutsche, there is another German-

suited deck used in the west of the country (Tyrol): the
Einfachdeutsch pattern, even more popular in the
southern half of this region, which belongs to Italy, and is
therefore printed by Italian manufacturers, as well, with
the name Salzburger or Salisburghesi.
Doppeldeutsche deck (by Piatnik, Austria)

The Einfachdeutsch pattern has single-ended subjects (the

Austrian name of the pack actually means "Single German"), and
has a graphic relation with the Bavarian pattern, though it always
contains a WELI card as the Doppeldeutsche pack.

The Italian-made version, called Salzburger, once consisted of 36

cards, as the original Autrian one, but now all national
manufacturers produce it as a 40-card pack, adding 5s to the
series of pip cards.

Austrian playing cards are not only German-suited: two more

patterns with French suits are used in this country, known as
Wien - I and Wien - II, or Austrian Large Crown and Austrian
Small Crown.

Salzburger deck (by Modiano, Italy); no indices

are shown; note the WELI in both Austrian patterns

The first of the two is also used in the Czech

Republic, and is described in the central european
gallery, as well. The courts are double-headed,
featuring personages whose base is rather large,
and slightly exceeds the frame on both sides, as
well as in the upper part; the knaves and the kings
are shaven, except the knave of Spades, wearing a
moustache. The most easily recognizable
personage is the knave of Hearts, who holds a flag
bearing the name WIEN, or a reference to the
manufacturer (whose name can be read on the band
worn by the king of Spades).

Viennese large crown pattern, by Piatnik (Austria)

There are no indices, and the courts feature their own suit sign in the corner, but without a letter; the aces, instead,
have four small suit signs, located in each corner.

The Viennese large crown pattern is found in different

compositions: the most common one is the 32 card-version, for
the game of Preference (Germany) and Picket (Austria, Czech
Republic, north-eastern Italy), but in Austria also a 24-card
version for the game of Schnaps and the less common 52-card
version exist.

Also the second pattern ("small crown") has double-headed

courts, closer to the ones belonging to ordinary international
decks, but more finely ornate than the latter; their size is slightly
smaller than the large crown pattern.

Viennese small crown pattern, by Modiano (Italia)

In this case the kings' crowns do not reach the frame. The court indices are the standard ones, and so are
the pip cards, including the aces. They are available in 32-card and 52-card versions.

Rhineland Finally, one more variety is the Rhineland pattern, whose origin is German, see the relevant gallery, but is
pattern, now used only in other European countries, including Austria. Piatnik's edition (left) is a 52-card deck, with
by Piatnik
very brightly coloured courts; the line that encircles them forms four small recesses in the corners, in which
the indices are fit.
 GLOSSARY

actual translation

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)

UNDER below LOW RANK KNAVE

OBER over HIGH RANK KNAVE

BUBE JACK

DAME lady QUEEN

KÖNIG KING

OTHER GALLERIES

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AND HISTORY GLOSSARY THE JOKER TABLE GAMES LINKS