European Glass Lives in Craft, Art & Industry
Glass Heritage
Glass Works follows the border-crossing relations of European glass makers.
A small history of glass portraits 19 border-crossers from 5 European glass landscapes: Eastern Bavaria, Czechia, Styria, Alsace-Lorraine and Denmark. Each region features a distinctive profile in international studio glass, applied arts, high tech, refined crystal, or Scandinavian design. Travelling glass makers – crafts people, designers, artists – connect them. With their skill and creativity they keep glass heritage alive, from mediaeval times to today and into the future.
Texts and images are from the touring exhibition “Glass Works. European Glass Lives in Craft, Art and Industry”.
The touring exhibition “Glass Works. European Glass Lives in Craft, Art and Industry” was produced in 2019/2020 at the Institute for Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology at the University of Graz, Austria, in cooperation with Bild-Werk Frauenau e.V. and numerous cooperation partners.
Curated by Lisa Eidenhammer.
Download: Text boards “border crossers”, sections from the exhibition brochure.
Texts: Lisa Eidenhammer and Katharina Eisch-Angus.
Graphics/exhibition design: Johann Zuschnegg. Translations: Mark Angus (English), Jaroslav Fait (Czech), Mai Therese Ørsted Andersen (Danish).
What Makes Glass Unique

One glass – many hands
In glass production, manual skills, specialized knowledge, division of labor, aesthetic sense and creativity all come together.

Traditionally innovative: the European glass legacy
Glasses represent ideals, needs and the tastes of the times. Wars, economic crises and globalization mark endpoints and new beginnings.
Border-crossers in Glass

Walter-Griener family
Bernard Simon Walter, Elisabeth Griener, Jean Walter, Marie Walter

Jiří Harcuba / Pavlína Čambalová
Jiří Harcuba
Glass engraver, artist, medalist, designer * 1928 in Harrachov (Harrachsdorf, CZ), +2013 in Prague
Pavlína Čambalová
Glass engraver, artist
*1986 in Frýdlant (CZ)

Franz Georg Kreybich
Glass merchant, glass cutter, glass painter
*1662 in Steinschönau (Kamenický Šenov, CZ), + 1736 ?

Elving Runemalm / Jacob Eiler Bang
Elving Runemalm, glass engraver * 1910 in Rövaremåla (Småland, SE) +1985 in Vedbæk (DK)
Jacob Eiler Bang, designer, architect * 1899 in Frederiksberg (DK), +1965 in Kongens Lyngby (DK)

Conradus Glaser
Glass painter, glassmaker, glass master, Vitreator * in Neuern in the Bohemian Forest (Nýrsko, CZ), + approx. 1390 in Prague