By BAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH
Museum of Glass Art Lauscha
The museum in the glass town of Lauscha presents Thuringian glass from the late Middle Ages to the present day, from early forest glass to courtly and bourgeois ceremonial vessels, glass beads, glass eyes and Christmas tree decorations to contemporary handicrafts and glass art.
On tour with the glass princesses in the museum
Discover the treasures and precious artefacts in the glass museum with the royalty...
Mit den Glasprinzessinnen im Museum unterwegs...BAYERN TOURISMUS Marketing GmbH
Lauscha - the birthplace of glass Christmas tree decorations
Lauscha is the ‘birthplace’ of glass Christmas tree decorations. According to legend, it was a poor glassblower who could not afford expensive nuts and apples as tree decorations and recreated them from glass.
It is documented that glass nuts and baubles were also produced from the production of glass beads from the 1830s onwards. The earliest surviving entry of an order for ‘Christmas baubles’ dates from 1848. From 1870, the baubles and moulded items were coated with silver nitrate on the inside. The production of Christmas tree decorations in Lauscha and the surrounding villages began to flourish from 1870.
Around 1880, the American Woolworth discovered the Lauscha products and organised their export to America. This marked the beginning of the triumphant advance of glass tree decorations. To this day, the decorated Christmas tree in candlelight with shiny baubles is the epitome of a festive Christmas Eve.
In the Museum of Glass Art, glass Christmas tree decorations are displayed in all their diversity from their beginnings to the present day. Balls, bells, birds and a wide variety of ornaments make visitors' hearts beat faster and get them in the mood for Christmas all year round.
The ‘Production of mouth-blown glass Lauscha Christmas tree decorations’ has been included in the Federal Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 19 March 2021.
‘It's Christmas time’
From the glass blank to Father Christmas...
Glass Christmas tree decorations have been handmade in the glass town of Lauscha for over 190 years. Traditionally, shiny unique pieces are made from glass blanks with great skill in small workshops at home, either free-blown or blown into shape.
From the glass blank to Father Christmas...
In the first step, the glassblower heats the glass flask to around 800 degrees in the flame of the gas burner. The glass blank is turned evenly until it reaches the right temperature.
With a great deal of experience, the glassblower places the heated blank in the two-part ceramic Father Christmas mould and blows it into the mould to create the figure.
The lower handle is then heated and removed from Father Christmas.
After removing from the mould, the glass Father Christmas is warmed through again in the flame to relieve tension in the glass.
The right mixture based on silver nitrate, which is filled into the mould, ensures silver plating.
After swirling in a hot water bath, a silver mirror is deposited inside Father Christmas.
Father Christmas is then hand-painted with different colours and sprinkled with glitter.
With a metal hat as a pendant, Father Christmas is finished and can be admired in the museum's Christmas tree decorations exhibition.
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