Manufacturer · Czechoslovakia · Valašské Meziříčí · est. 1958
Osvetlovaci Sklo
Osvětlovací sklo (from 1958) – Czechoslovak state enterprise in Valašské Meziříčí, specialising in lighting glass and glass lamps.
About the manufacturer
- Years active
- est. 1958
- Country
- Czechoslovakia
- Location
- Valašské Meziříčí
Osvětlovací sklo – Czechoslovak state enterprise (národní podnik) based in Valašské Meziříčí, established on 1 January 1958 and specialising in lighting glass. On 1 January 1989, it was established as a state enterprise (státní podnik) bringing together six plants.
The plant in Valašské Meziříčí originated from the glassworks in Krásno nad Bečvou, now part of the town, operated from the mid-19th century by the Reich family and the company S. Reich & spol. In 1907, the production of laminated triplex glass was introduced there. From 1 July 1934, the glassworks was operated by Českomoravské sklárny; it was nationalised on 7 March 1946 and renamed Krásenské sklárny in 1949. Lighting glass – in many colours, forms and historical styles – was its most important product; around 95 per cent of production was exported. In the 1970s, some historic oil-lamp forms were adapted for electric power.
A development department was established in 1958, joined in 1959 by Karel Volf, who continued the tradition of opal glass. Lamps were designed by, among others, Ivan Jakeš (the “Šachové figurky” table lamps, 1971), Jan Votava (the “Napoleón” lamp), Miloslav Prokop, Jiří Boháč and František Slavík; they received CID distinctions and gold medals at fairs in Liberec and Brno. After 1989, the plant in Valašské Meziříčí was bought at auction by the company Osvětlovací sklo – Lares, which operated it from 1 January 1993. Production of lighting glass ended on 13 June 2002, and the last furnace was shut down on 26 September 2003.
