Mouth-blown colored glass products, colored glass tubes and rods from our own melt in Lauscha.
Farbglashütte Lauscha/Thür. GmbH
Lauscha (main plant)New on Amplifa
The Glassworks – Glass since 1853
The Farbglashütte Lauscha – ELIAS Glashütte is a craft demonstration glassworks in the glassblowing town of Lauscha in the Thuringian Forest. Since 1853, mouth-blown, handmade, partly drawn and cast colored glass products have been produced there. Using pot furnace technology, glass is melted from raw materials and cullet at up to 1,500 °C; at the pot furnace, mouth-blown hollow glassware is made in wooden, Peno and iron molds up to approx. 35 cm in height and 25 cm in diameter, while delicate lampworking pieces are created at torches (lamp). Production also includes drawing colored glass tubes and rods in up to 275 colors, glass engraving and hand painting. The company produces its own ranges such as rose balls, Thuringian forest glass, Christmas tree ornaments, glass marbles and tableware series, as well as small series and custom-made products on customer order with individual colors, shapes and patterns. The company is part of the Gerhard Bürger Foundation and manufactures entirely in Lauscha, Germany.
- Site
- Lauscha
- Processes
- Hollow blowing (mouth-blown hollow glass at the pot furnace, in wooden, Peno or iron molds), Glass blowing at the torch/lamp (lampworking), Drawing colored glass bars/tubes/rods (up to 275 colors), Casting glass products (cast colored glass products), Melting glass from raw materials and cullet (pot furnace technology, up to 1,500 °C), Production of small series on customer order (custom-made colors, shapes, patterns), Engraving work / glass engraving (e.g. animal motifs cut into the glass), Annealing of the glasses with product-specific cooling curve
- Materials
- Thuringian forest glass (potash glass, tinted greenish by iron oxides), Antique glass (crystal clear, with Gispen/bubbles), Colored glass (up to 275 colors, tubes and rods), Lauscha clear glass, Teufelsrot (devil's red), Hollow-blowing and works glass, Quartz sand, Potash
- Founded
- 1853
- Industries
- Glass manufactory/craft, Garden decoration, Christmas decorations/festive culture, Glass finishing (tubes and rods for glassblowers), Tourism
- 01
Melting glass (raw materials and cullet, pot furnace up to 1,500 °C)
- 02
Hollow blowing at the pot furnace in wooden, Peno or iron molds
- 03
Lampworking at the torch
- 04
Drawing colored glass tubes and rods
- 05
Finishing (engraving, hand painting)
- 06
Annealing with product-specific cooling curve
- 07
Factory outlet and online shop
Glass types and raw materials
Thuringian forest glass
Potash glass tinted greenish by iron oxides with typical air bubbles (Gispen), e.g. for Goethe water glasses and Luther goblets.
Antique glass
Crystal-clear works glass with pronounced Gispen structure and thicker walls, among other things for the tableware series Martha and Martha Color.
Colored glass (tubes and rods)
Up to 275 colors in different transparency levels for lampworking.
Lauscha clear glass
Clear colored glass for glass spheres and lampworking pieces.
Teufelsrot (devil's red)
Traditional Lauscha colored glass quality for glass art at the torch.
Hollow-blowing and works glass
Mouth-blown hollow glass from our own melt for spheres, vases and Christmas tree ornaments.
Locations
Lauscha
DEMain plant with demonstration glassworks, factory outlet, Museum of Glass Art and ELIAS Theater
- Lot size
- Small series, custom-made products
- Materials
- Thuringian forest glass, antique glass, colored glass, clear glass, Teufelsrot
- Pot furnace (glassworks furnace, up to 1,500 °C)
- Torch/lamp for lampworking
- Glassmaker's pipes (1.2–1.6 m)
- Wooden, Peno and iron molds
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollow blowing (mouth-blown hollow glass at the pot furnace, in wooden, Peno or iron molds)Casting | – | approx. 35 cm | – | – | Colored glass, Thuringian forest glass, Antique glass |
| Glass blowing at the torch/lamp (lampworking)Casting | – | – | – | – | Colored glass tubes, Colored glass rods, Lauscha clear glass, Teufelsrot |
| Drawing colored glass bars/tubes/rods (up to 275 colors)Casting | – | – | – | – | Colored glass |
| Casting glass products (cast colored glass products)Casting | – | – | – | – | Colored glass |
| Melting glass from raw materials and cullet (pot furnace technology, up to 1,500 °C)Casting | – | – | – | – | Glass raw materials, Glass cullet |
| Production of small series on customer order (custom-made colors, shapes, patterns)Casting | – | – | – | Small series | Colored glass |
| Engraving work / glass engraving (e.g. animal motifs cut into the glass)Surface | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| Annealing of the glasses with product-specific cooling curveHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| Glass clinic – repair of damaged favorite glass items (with fixed deadlines)Assembly | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| Hand painting of Christmas tree ornamentsSurface | – | – | – | – | Glass |
| Producing glass marbles / glass feathers / glass flowers (traditional Lauscha glass art)Casting | – | – | – | – | Colored glass |
4 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pot furnace (glassworks furnace, melting temperature up to 1,500 °C) | – | – | – | – | Lauscha |
| Torch/lamp (for lampworking) | – | – | – | – | Lauscha |
| Glassmaker's pipe (1.2 to 1.6 m long, with mouthpiece) | – | – | – | – | Lauscha |
| Wooden, Peno and iron molds (molds for hollow blowing) | – | – | – | – | Lauscha |
Additional services
History of the works
- 1853
Foundation of the colored glassworks by Elias Greiner Vetters Sohn for the production of glass marbles; also production of tubes and rods for lampworking.
- 1995
Gerhard Bürger took over the Farbglashütte Lauscha in economically difficult times and developed it into the stable Farbglashütte Lauscha/Thür. GmbH.
- 2013
Foundation of the Gerhard Bürger Foundation (registered office in Blankenburg), into which the GmbH was transferred; since then part of the foundation together with the glass manufactory HARZKRISTALL.
- 2018
2nd place in the Tradition & Future category at the PwC audience award of the Thuringia Innovation Prize for the series 1200° (cooperation with the Bauhaus University Weimar).
- 2020
Grand Prize of Table Culture (DINEUS) in the glass category for the series HANDwerker.
- 2025
Gerhard Bürger passed away on May 25, 2025.