F.X. Schmid

F.X. Schmid is a historic German games and publishing brand founded in Munich in 1860 by Franz Xaver Schmid. For much of its history, the company was one of the important manufacturers in the German and wider European market for playing cards, traditional games, quartets, board games and puzzles. Its products served both established card-game traditions and the expanding family-games market, giving the company a broad position between specialist playing-card production and mass-market leisure publishing. The business originally combined toy and card production. In 1915 it operated under the name Vereinigte Münchener Spielkarten-Fabriken, or United Munich Playing Card Factories. During the Second World War, the company moved its headquarters to Prien am Chiemsee. That location later became important to the company's diversification: in 1955, F.X. Schmid began manufacturing and producing board games and puzzles there, extending its business beyond cards. The Prien site was expanded in 1977, and the company also established a branch in the United States, reflecting its international ambitions. F.X. Schmid developed a substantial catalogue of successful games on the German-speaking and international markets. Among the best-known titles associated with the company were Auf Achse, which won Spiel des Jahres in 1987; Hoity Toity, the 1990 Spiel des Jahres winner; and Bluff, which received the award in 1993. The company also published or distributed titles such as Set!, Schraumeln, Phase 10, Quarto!, Kuhhandel, Ein solches Ding, Breakaway Rider and New York, New York. Torres won Spiel des Jahres in 2000 under the FX label, although by then the label was operating within the Ravensburger context. The company changed its manufacturing and corporate structure during the 1990s. In 1991, its playing-card programme was integrated into the production of ASS Altenburger in Thuringia. This arrangement connected F.X. Schmid with one of Germany's established playing-card production centres and supported the brand's market reach. In 1995, before its acquisition, the business recorded turnover of 67 million Deutsche Mark and employed approximately 250 people. It subsequently encountered economic difficulties. Ravensburger acquired F.X. Schmid as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1996, and the businesses merged in 1997. Following the merger, Ravensburger initially used the shortened FX name in an attempt to position a line of games for young adults. That programme was discontinued in 2000 as sales in the games market declined. From approximately 2002 onward, the F.X. Schmid name was used primarily by Ravensburger for children's books and playing cards rather than as a broad independent games publisher. The brand remains associated with traditional German card games. F.X. Schmid playing cards continue to be produced for games such as Skat and Schafkopf, and the brand has been described as the last manufacturer of German Tarock playing cards. Its Cego cards use the Tarot Nouveau pattern, with genre scenes rather than the imagery of a standard playing-card deck. In its current form, F.X. Schmid is therefore best understood as a legacy Ravensburger brand whose historical identity spans card manufacture, family games, puzzles, children's publishing and notable award-winning board games.

Franz Xaver Schmid founded the publishing and manufacturing business in Munich in 1860. The original operation produced toys and playing cards, placing it within the long-established German tradition of printed card games and illustrated leisure products. By 1915, the enterprise was operating as the Vereinigte Münchener Spielkarten-Fabriken, or United Munich Playing Card Factories. During the Second World War, the company's headquarters were relocated to Prien am Chiemsee. The Prien operation later became a centre for diversification. In 1955, F.X. Schmid began producing board games and puzzles there, moving beyond its original concentration on playing cards. The site was expanded in 1977, and the company opened a branch in the United States, indicating that it was seeking distribution and commercial reach outside Germany. F.X. Schmid became a significant European games manufacturer, with a catalogue covering traditional cards, quartets, board games and puzzles. Its notable games included Auf Achse, Hoity Toity and Bluff, each of which won the German Spiel des Jahres award in 1987, 1990 and 1993 respectively. The company was also associated with titles including Set!, Schraumeln, Phase 10, Quarto!, Kuhhandel, Ein solches Ding, Breakaway Rider and New York, New York. Torres later won Spiel des Jahres in 2000 under the FX label. The company's playing-card activities were reorganized in 1991, when the F.X. Schmid playing-card programme was integrated into the production of ASS Altenburger in Thuringia. This linked the brand's card catalogue to another established German production facility. In 1995, F.X. Schmid reported turnover of 67 million Deutsche Mark and had approximately 250 employees. Soon afterward, it encountered financial and operating difficulties. Ravensburger acquired the business in 1996 as a wholly owned subsidiary, and the two companies merged in 1997. After the merger, Ravensburger briefly tried to develop the shortened FX name as a separate identity for games aimed at young adults. The series was discontinued in 2000 as sales in the overall games market weakened. From about 2002, Ravensburger used F.X. Schmid chiefly for children's books and playing cards. The name nevertheless retained a specialized role in traditional card products. F.X. Schmid-branded decks continued to be made for Skat and Schafkopf, and the brand remained associated with German Tarock cards. Its Cego cards use the Tarot Nouveau design, characterized by illustrated genre scenes. F.X. Schmid is now a Ravensburger-owned legacy brand rather than an independent games company. Its historical importance rests on the breadth of its catalogue, its contribution to German card manufacturing and its association with several award-winning games. Its continuing identity is concentrated in selected playing-card products and children's publishing, while much of its former board-game catalogue belongs to the history of the company and the broader Ravensburger games portfolio.

1. 2002Brand use focuses on children's books and playing cards

   Ravensburger increasingly uses the F.X. Schmid name for children's books and selected playing-card products.

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2. 2000Torres wins Spiel des Jahres under the FX label

   Torres receives Spiel des Jahres while published under the FX label; the FX young-adult game series is also discontinued around this period.

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3. 1997Merger with Ravensburger

   F.X. Schmid merges with Ravensburger.

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4. 1996Ravensburger acquires F.X. Schmid

   Ravensburger acquires F.X. Schmid as a wholly owned subsidiary after the company encounters economic difficulties.

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5. 1993Bluff wins Spiel des Jahres

   Bluff receives the Spiel des Jahres award.

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6. 1991Playing-card programme integrated with ASS Altenburger

   F.X. Schmid's playing-card programme is integrated into production at ASS Altenburger in Thuringia.

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7. 1990Hoity Toity wins Spiel des Jahres

   Hoity Toity receives the Spiel des Jahres award.

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8. 1987Auf Achse wins Spiel des Jahres

   Auf Achse receives the German Spiel des Jahres award.

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9. 1977Prien site expanded

   The company's Prien facility is expanded, and F.X. Schmid maintains a branch in the United States.

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10. 1955Board-game and puzzle production begins at Prien

    After its wartime relocation to Prien am Chiemsee, the company starts manufacturing board games and puzzles there.

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11. 1915Operation under the United Munich Playing Card Factories name

    The business operates as Vereinigte Münchener Spielkarten-Fabriken, reflecting its identity as a major playing-card manufacturer.

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12. 1860F.X. Schmid is founded in Munich

    Franz Xaver Schmid establishes a publishing and manufacturing business producing toys and playing cards.

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A historic German games and publishing label focused on traditional playing cards, family and strategy games, puzzles and children's publishing within the Ravensburger Group.

• Traditional playing cardsPlaying cards1860

  Playing cards are the brand's longest-running product category. F.X. Schmid decks have been associated with traditional German games including Skat and Schafkopf. The brand is also associated with German Tarock cards and Cego packs using the Tarot Nouveau pattern, whose cards depict genre scenes. These products represent the continuing specialist role of F.X. Schmid within the Ravensburger portfolio.

• Auf AchseBoard game1987

  Auf Achse was one of F.X. Schmid's most prominent board-game successes. Its recognition with the Spiel des Jahres award in 1987 made it an important example of the company's ability to produce commercially successful, critically recognized German family games.

• Hoity ToityBoard game1990

  Hoity Toity was a successful F.X. Schmid game and the recipient of the 1990 Spiel des Jahres award. It forms part of the company's award-winning catalogue from the period when F.X. Schmid was an independent major European games manufacturer.

• BluffBoard game1993

  Bluff was published by F.X. Schmid and won Spiel des Jahres in 1993. Its award reinforced the company's reputation in the German family-games market shortly before the business was acquired by Ravensburger.

• TorresStrategy board game2000

  Torres was released under the FX label and won Spiel des Jahres in 2000. The award came during the period after Ravensburger had acquired F.X. Schmid and was using FX as an attempted distinct games identity.

• Children's booksChildren's publishing2002

  From approximately 2002, Ravensburger used the F.X. Schmid name in children's books. This represented a shift away from the former independent company's broad board-game publishing programme toward selected publishing and card products within the Ravensburger Group.

• 2000Discontinue the FX young-adult games seriesStrategy

  After the Ravensburger merger, the company attempted to establish FX as a distinct identity for games aimed at young adults. Sales in the games market subsequently declined.

  What changed. Ravensburger discontinued the game series.

  Aftermath. The F.X. Schmid name was later concentrated mainly on children's books and playing cards, although Torres won Spiel des Jahres under the FX label in the same period.

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• 1996Ravensburger acquisitionM&A

  F.X. Schmid encountered economic difficulties after decades as an independent games and publishing manufacturer.

  What changed. Ravensburger acquired the company as a wholly owned subsidiary.

  Aftermath. The businesses merged in 1997, and F.X. Schmid became a Ravensburger-owned brand rather than an independent corporate group.

  Turnover. 67 million Deutsche Mark (1995)

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• 1991Integrate the playing-card programme with ASS AltenburgerStrategy

  F.X. Schmid sought to consolidate and expand its playing-card activities while remaining active across the German and international games markets.

  What changed. The company's playing-card programme was integrated into production at ASS Altenburger in Thuringia.

  Aftermath. The arrangement connected F.X. Schmid's card business with an established German card-manufacturing operation and supported market expansion.

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• 2002F.X. Schmid brand shifts toward children's books and playing cards

  Ravensburger began using the F.X. Schmid name primarily for children's books and playing cards, while continuing production of selected traditional card games.

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• 2000FX young-adult games programme discontinued

  Ravensburger ended the FX game series, which had been intended to establish a distinct young-adult games profile, amid a decline in games-market sales.

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• 1997F.X. Schmid and Ravensburger merge

  The F.X. Schmid business was merged with Ravensburger following the previous year's acquisition.

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• 1996Ravensburger acquires F.X. Schmid

  Ravensburger took over F.X. Schmid as a wholly owned subsidiary after the German games and publishing business experienced economic difficulties.

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1. F.X. Schmid