"Boris Kobe's Tarot Cards from Allach Concentration Camp (probably 1945)."

prudence

No way, this is very strange, bujaja, as I have just finished making a thread about this very same deck. What are the odds?

I feel just as you do, so mixed and well speechless, about these images. I just do not know what to feel in this instance. Horribly sad, or just amazed at his artistry.
 

brujaja

exactly, it's very strange. awe, i think, comes closest...that such artifacts come out of such places....that such places exist....but to be treated with such humor, even from within them...
 

Papageno

how extraordinary! thank you for sharing this.
a very important historical document.

it's profound and and sends chills up and down my spine.
 

prudence

Papageno said:
how extraordinary! thank you for sharing this.
a very important historical document.
Can't speak for brujaja, but I felt very odd and hesitant in sharing it. This deck among a list of popular decks seems a strange juxtaposition. I was also a bit unsure about which forum (this one, or the Historical).

The fact that he was able to maintain his sense of humor in such a place is awe inspiring, brujaja.
 

Papageno

prudence said:
Can't speak for brujaja, but I felt very odd and hesitant in sharing it. This deck among a list of popular decks seems a strange juxtaposition. I was also a bit unsure about which forum (this one, or the Historical).

The fact that he was able to maintain his sense of humor in such a place is awe inspiring, brujaja.

technically I think this thread is more appropriate in the historical section, but that's a minor point. I understand your hesitancy to share this resource, the subject matter is upsetting to say the very least........but it's necsessary IMO.

I'm not sure if I would define what you see as maintaining his sense of humor, I see this as an expression of defiant inner strength in the face of impossible odds and Hell on earth.
 

shadowomyn

I've never heard of this deck. It's profound - probably because he did somehow keep his sense of humor . Very humbling.

I wonder how he was able to get the materials together considering that he was in a concentration camp? He must have been very resourceful.
 

WolfSpirit

That's amazing.

It makes me wonder all kinds of things - did he do it all by myself, or did he include his fellow prisoners ? Did he just make the deck or did he use it - for readings, or for consolation and to draw strength from in some way ?
I could see him include other people in getting the materials together, giving some purpose to their day.
Whatever way - he must have had a very strong personality.
 

Gayla

Very, very interesting...thanks for sharing.
 

Mabuse

The article unfortunately fails to put these cards in their proper context. The author seems to be unfamiliar with Tarot decks used as card games.

This deck is based on a conventional Austrian style Tarot (or Tarock) design in which the trumps and court cards are double figured and the suit signs are hearts, spades, diamonds, and clubs.
http://i-p-c-s.org/pattern/ps-14.html


This type of Tarot deck is not used for divination. It is only used for playing Tarot/Tarock card games.

I am also dissapointed that the "all about the occult" link is a very biased anti-occult sermon which is unrelated to the type of Tarot (gaming, not fortune telling) depicted in the article. The article gives the unfortunate and false impression that these cards were used for the occult. Here is a link which I think better explains the cultural context of this type of Tarot deck.

http://www.pagat.com/tarot/