9-11-89 passé

Such a pack as this would have been unthinkable prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 (9-11-89). Just a few months after that historic event this pack was issued, featuring black and white caricatures by Rainer Schwalme of prominent East German politicians from the old regime, notably Erich Honecker on the King of Clubs (and on the title card), Egon Krenz on the Jack of Clubs, and Günter Schabowski (party leader in East Berlin) on the Jack of Diamonds. The manufacturer’s logo appears on the 8 of Hearts. The first edition ran to 8,000 packs; a second edition followed later in a slightly different size.

Above: “9-11-89 passé” playing cards made by Altenburger Spielkartenfabrik, Altenburg, Germany, 1990. 32 cards + title card in clear plastic box. Size: 60 x 91 mm (1st edition); 59 x 92 mm (2nd edition).