According to Pierre Mallet, the French author of a draughts book (1668), in Germany in his time chess and draughts were equally popular. No chess books were published between 1616 (Gustavus Selenus "Das Schach- oder Königsspiel") and works in the mid 19th c. [Eales 1985:99]. In this period two draughts books were edited: Johann F.W. Koch "Das Damenspiel" (1811) and Ferd. Zimmermann "Vollständiger Codex der Damenbrett-Spielkunst" (1821). In 1886 and 1888 two other draughts books were published [Stoep 1984:121-124].  Draughts must have been a lively played and sociable game in Germany until about 1900; in the 20th c. it faded away, and in this day and age draughts is considered as a simple children's pastime.

Owing to a lack of investigation, we don't know much of the position of draughts in Germany. Draughts must have been a game with a certain standing, for a 17th c. round dining table (right below) from Nürnberg was decorated with a board with a draughts position [Stoep 2005:113]. The picture below made by the 18th c. German engraver Johann Haid shows wealthy draughts players. Because the pictoral arts give details about draughts in the past, it is important to compile an iconography. The title of the engraving is French: "Le jeu de la dame" and German: "Das Damenspiel", names which allow to present draughts as a game for ladies.

We may ask the question if before the middle of the 19th c. draughts has not been a more popular  game than chess. An example: in 1803 a catalogue offered a table (left below) with a mirror, partitions for knitting and sewing kit and a 64 squares board; this piece of furniture for women was called "a draughts board", not "chess board" [Stoep 2005:129].