Glas- und Steinmuseum Gmünd
Municipal museum on the main square of Gmünd about glassmaking in the Waldviertel–Bohemian border region and stone working since the Neolithic.
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About the museum
The Glass and Stone Museum is housed in a neo-Baroque residential building on the main square of Gmünd, built around 1900 and now a listed monument. It is run by the town of Gmünd, which also operates the City Museum in the Old Town Hall a few doors away.
The stone museum came first; it opened in 1968 under the Latin motto "saxa loquuntur" ("the stones speak"). It traces the working of Waldviertel stone from the Neolithic to the present day; the oldest pieces date from around 2200 to 1800 BC.
The glass section is devoted to the glassworks in the border area between Lower Austria and Bohemia. From the 15th century onward, more and more glassworks sprang up in the upper and western Waldviertel, stretching in a wide arc from the Gföhl Forest to Litschau. Once the surrounding forests were cut down, the glassmasters moved on with their workers; abandoned works sometimes became woodcutter settlements such as Karlstift or Josefsthal. The trade usually passed from father to son.
During a redesign, the glass section was reorganized didactically and supplemented with media elements. The tour now follows periods and styles and shows tools as well as cut and refined glass from the 17th century to today; it also points to the glass production that is still active in the upper Waldviertel.
Highlights
- History of the glassworks in the Lower Austrian–Bohemian border region
- Finely worked glass from the 17th century to the present
- Stone working in the Waldviertel from the Neolithic to today
- Neo-Baroque residential building on Gmünd's main square
Permanent exhibitions
- Glasmuseum – The origins of the glassworks in the Waldviertel–Bohemian border region, glassmakers' tools and refined glass from the 17th century to today, arranged by period.
- Steinmuseum – Overview of stone working in the Waldviertel, from Neolithic finds to the present day.
- Founded
- 1968
- Operated by
- Stadtgemeinde Gmünd
Admission & discounts
| Groups | –Guided tour of the city, glass and stone museums: €40 per group of up to 25 people, advance registration required. |
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
By car
Meeting point for group tours at the Mühlgasse bus parking area by the info point, or on the main square by the fountain.
Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
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| Good to know | Group tours together with the City Museum in the Old Town Hall, by advance registration with the town of Gmünd. |
