Trefl - Skat Tradycyjnyz

9/10/2026

Trefl - Skat Tradycyjnyz

This post is dedicated to Paweł Węgliński, from Poland, who kindly donated this interesting pack and provided a wealth of valuable information. I highly recommend visiting "My Cards Blog", showcasing both his magnificent collection and his extensive knowledge of Central European playing cards and patterns.

INTRODUCTION & IDENTIFICATION DETAILS

One of the most compelling aspects of playing cards is that, behind what seem at first sight to be just small pieces of illustrated cardboard, an endless depth of history, nuances, and subtleties lies concealed. Much like peeling a giant onion, each layer removed reveals that, no matter how deeply we dig, we are barely scratching the surface. That is largely the feeling I experienced when examining this pack.

Manufactured in Poland by Trefl, our copy is labelled Skat Tradycyjny (Traditional Skat), originally issued under reference No. 122; a classic model that has remained in production from the 1960s to the present day, featuring the standard 32-card format with German suits.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The firm’s origins can be traced back to 1926 with the founding of the Krakowska Fabryka Kart (Kraków Playing Card Factory), initially a subsidiary of Austrian company Piatnik. After remaining inactive during World War II, the facilities were nationalized in 1947 as Krakowskie Zakłady Wyrobów Papierowych (Kraków Paper Products Factory), or KZWP, becoming Poland's leading playing card manufacturer.

The company continued producing Central European models inherited from Piatnik until the 1960s, when, in collaboration with artists from the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, it began introducing its own designs and local variants.

Following the fall of the communist regime, the company was privatized in 1997 upon being acquired by Trefl, a Polish board game maker, becoming KZWP Trefl-Kraków, and since 2014, Fabryka Kart Trefl-Kraków (Trefl-Kraków Playing Card Factory).

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The creator of our pack's artwork was Franciszek Bunsch, educated in graphic arts at the Fine Arts Academies of Kraków and Prague. During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, he designed several decks for the KZWP; the model featured here debuted in 1963, using the Prussian pattern as a foundation while replacing traditional motifs with historical references and iconography closely tied to Poland.

The exact reasons behind this redesign remain unclear. It may have stemmed from intellectual property concerns, but perhaps also from a policy of "de-Germanization" and cultural assimilation in Silesia, a region with a deep-rooted Skat tradition and German heritage, whose local identity and dialect the communist regime considered a "suspect element".

ICONOGRAPHY & DESIGN

As noted earlier, the artwork on this pack is based on the Prussian pattern, specifically the IPCS Double headed Prussian pattern Type II, also known as the Prussian-Silesian pattern. Rather than dwelling on a detailed analysis of this style, our focus here will be on examining the similarities and departures introduced by Bunsch.

The Daus (aces) retain the original pattern's iconography with classical Greco-Roman deities:

Hearts: Athena / Minerva
Bells: Demeter / Ceres
Leaves: Artemis / Diana
Acorns: Dionysus / Bacchus

On the pip cards, clear differences begin to emerge. While the layout remains unchanged, the traditional scenic views found at the bottom of the cards have been replaced with Polish cityscapes, faithfully reproducing their most recognizable landmarks.

It is on the court cards, however, that the design severs all ties with the Prussian pattern. Instead, Bunsch’s illustrations introduce a structured iconographic program that assigns each suit a distinct temporal and geographical framework rooted in Poland’s historical heritage.

The Unters represent servants or trades, the Obers portray warriors and military figures, and the Kings depict the rulers of each historical setting:

Hearts (czerwienie): Spans the Western Middle Ages with a cupbearer (Unter), a crossbowman (Ober), and a feudal monarch (King).
Acorns (żołędzie): Set in the Renaissance, featuring a minstrel with a lute (Unter), a landsknecht with a halberd (Ober), and a sovereign wearing a ruff (King).
Bells (dzwonki): Draws upon the Ottoman and Tatar spheres with a falconer (Unter), an archer in a turban (Ober), and a sabre-wielding khan (King).
Leaves (wino, "wine" in Polish): Reserved for Slavic tradition and Sarmatism, depicting a young grape harvester carrying a basket (Unter), a military figure of the szlachta with a fur cap and a firearm (Ober), and a sovereign wearing a Byzantine crown (King). An interesting detail is that the Unter also functions as a visual pun on the Polish name of the suit, which stems from the resemblance between standard German pips and vine leaves.

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Bunsch carried out a meticulous reinterpretation of this pattern to suit a Polish audience. The deck’s enduring popularity and over sixty years in continuous production stand as a testament to its success, elevating the design to what could arguably be regarded as a regional variant.