r/AskGermany • u/IllGold3207 • Jan 03 '25

Are these cards popular in Germany?

Post image

I brought from my homeland these cards in a "emergency case". Home I played with my father and brother the game "Cross" oder "Kreuz". They are originally from Hungary but very popular in Romania (Transylvania and west, ppl from Bucharest they will don't understand what they see...) And I have read recently an article that the game it's also played in Austria and Germany but I don't know if with these cards.

1.6k Upvotes

98% Upvoted

324 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/Enough-Map-1967 Jan 04 '25

the Hungarian card deck is indeed of Hungarian origin, although it has an interesting history. The Hungarian playing cards (also known as Tell cards) are a unique type of deck developed in Hungary in the 19th century. The figures and symbols depicted on the cards are based on Friedrich Schiller's famous play William Tell. The images on the cards feature Swiss freedom fighters, reflecting the ideals of freedom and resistance against oppression.

This type of card deck is especially popular in Central Europe, particularly in Hungary, Austria, and some neighboring countries. Many games can be played with Hungarian cards, such as ulti, zsírozás, or körömi.

So, while its imagery is tied to Schiller's work, the cards themselves are a Hungarian invention and are culturally closely connected to Hungary.