Kartenblätter

Kartenblätter are thin, rectangular sheets commonly used to refer to individual pieces of a larger collection such as playing cards, map sheets, postcards, or informational leaflets. In German, the term is frequently applied to cards in card games, where each piece in a deck is a Kartenblatt. A typical deck of playing cards contains 52 Kartenblätter plus two or four jokers. The design of Kartenblätter is standardized in most card game systems, with courts, suits, and numbers printed on each side.

Beyond gaming, Kartenblätter also denote map plates or atlas pages. Geographers and cartographers use the term for sheets that are part of a larger map series, where each sheet covers a specific geographic area. Collectors often refer to them as “Kartenblätter” when cataloguing household map compilations.

In the realm of communication, a Kartenblatt can be a small informational booklet or pamphlet distributed at events or exported in bulk. These leaflets may contain logos, contact details, or body text, and are often used for marketing or informational purposes.

Historically, the use of Kartenblätter dates back to early printing techniques where individual sheets were produced for sale or distribution. In German-speaking countries, the word has been in continuous use since the 19th century. The term is still widely understood today and appears in dictionaries, legal documents, and everyday speech.