Glass merchant, glass cutter, glass painter * 1662 in Steinschönau (Kamenický Šenov, CZ), + 1736?
The Bohemian glass merchant Franz Kreybich undertook more than 30 trips with wheelbarrows, horses, carts and ships. During his first trips in the 1680s, with the cutting tool in his luggage, he often worked as a glass cutter for several months. He stayed, for example, in Ljubljana (Ljubljana, SLO), Graz (AT), Vienna or Znojmo (CZ) before acquiring the master’s license in Kreibitz (Chřibská, CZ).
Alone or in groups, he traveled to trading metropolises and royal courts in northern, central and southeastern Europe to sell Bohemian glass. As one of the first glass dealers, he wrote down his experiences: Difficulties along the way, adverse weather, fear of the Ottoman wars or illnesses did not keep Kreybich from his travels – the adventures and business successes were too appealing. The Bohemian glass merchants knew about the market, taste and society and thus mediated between consumers and producers.
