Dossiers

Dice, Cards and Other Games

Playing is essential for human development: it promotes cognitive, social and motor skills as early as childhood. At the same time, playing is fun, sociable and communicative – even for adults. We invite you to rediscover the world of gaming with the help of selected objects, articles and virtual exhibitions of the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek - maybe there is a new favourite game for you!

Image galleries

Historical Chess Pieces

Card Games

Game instructions

Articles

Playing cards – About Diabolical Prayer Books, Trionfi and Regional Suits

In Casino Royale, James Bond foiled the plans of the villain Le Chiffre with a dramatic poker tournament; in the opera Carmen, the cards foretold the heroine’s ominous fate and in Agatha Christie’s Cards on the Table, the private detective Hercule Poirot solved a tricky case with the aid of a bridge game score table. It is apparent that cards, therefore, are of decisive importance in a cultural-historical aspect. Reason enough to throw the spotlight on the history of the playing card in this blog post.

"The die is cast." History and stories of a play device and symbol

The die is a symbol of chance, luck or finality. Even in antiquity, the die and the immutability of its throwing results were familiar symbols: Julius Caesar coined the phrase "The die is cast" ("Alea iacta est") on the war front.

Virtual exhibitions

Die Republik der Spiele

Sport, Spiel und Vergnügen selbst in Pandemiezeiten in kostbaren antiquarischen Werken zu betrachten, ermöglicht die virtuelle Ausstellung aus den Rara-Beständen der Universitätsbibliothek Trier. Der Spaß, so zeigt sich, liegt allerdings oft sehr nahe am Ernst und ist manchmal sogar der Ernstfall selbst: für Tiere und Gladiatoren zum Beispiel. Oder wenn man beim Glücksspiel vom Pech erwischt wird.

Games

Memory & Co: Model Railways

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