Comprising around 200 glassworks, this exhibition of the Silesian Museum offers a representative overview of the productions of the company Fritz Heckert, which was long considered one of the leading manufacturers of art and ornamental glass and enjoyed international success.
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The merchant Friedrich Wilhelm Heckert (1837-1887), originally from Halle (Saale), established a “glass refinery” in Silesian . This new enterprise received glassware from the nearby Josephinenhütte in Schreiberhau/Szklarska Poręba and embellish the goods by adding elaborate decorations. Before long, Heckert became very successful. A historicist style was particularly prized and became very popular in Gründerzeit Germany and around the world.
In 1889, the company began manufacturing its own glass in a newly established factory. The range of products included colorful, oriental-styled glass, iridescent glass, and cameo glass. Production further increased with art nouveau-styled glass. Designers like Max Rate in Dresden and Ludwig Sütterlin supported courageous moves to create unconventional forms and color designs. The company was eventually taken over by the Josephinenhütte in 1918.
The private collection of Eike Gelfort in Cologne forms the core of the exhibition; it is complemented with several loans from the Muzeum Karkonoskie w Jeleniej Górze (Giant Mountains Museum) in. Another partner is the glassworks “Huta Julia” in Piechowice, which is now located on the former site of the Heckert company.
The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalog that shows the fascinating glassware in a new light.
In 1889, the company began manufacturing its own glass in a newly established factory. The range of products included colorful, oriental-styled glass, iridescent glass, and cameo glass. Production further increased with art nouveau-styled glass. Designers like Max Rate in Dresden and Ludwig Sütterlin supported courageous moves to create unconventional forms and color designs. The company was eventually taken over by the Josephinenhütte in 1918.
The private collection of Eike Gelfort in Cologne forms the core of the exhibition; it is complemented with several loans from the Muzeum Karkonoskie w Jeleniej Górze (Giant Mountains Museum) in
Jelenia Góra
The Lower Silesian town of Hirschberg, now Jelenia Góra in Polish, is located on the Bober River in the Hirschberg Valley at the foot of the Giant Mountains. It was an important trading center in the Middle Ages. A weaving industry was established here in the 16th century, followed by other industries. With the railroad connection in 1866, Jelenia Góra and the surrounding valley also became a popular tourist destination.
The exhibition is accompanied by a richly illustrated catalog that shows the fascinating glassware in a new light.
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