Glashüttenmuseum des Erzgebirges
Small museum on some 800 years of glassmaking in the Ore Mountains, housed in the old jail of Schloss Purschenstein; currently temporarily closed.
About the museum
In the Saxon-Bohemian Ore Mountains (Erzgebirge), numerous forest glassworks operated from the time of settlement around 1200 onward – more than fifty in the Middle Ages. One of the most important was the Heidelbach glassworks near Neuhausen, founded in 1488, which supplied not only everyday and window glass but also fine glassware for the Electoral Saxon court and noble houses, and remained in operation until about 1827. A shortage of wood, outdated technology and competition from Bohemia eventually brought it to an end.
The museum is housed in the Fronfeste (jail) of Schloss Purschenstein, built in 1750 and listed as a historic monument in the early 1990s. The municipality had the building restored with public funding and set it up as a museum together with the local branch of the Erzgebirgsverein (Ore Mountains association); it opened in May 1996. The flood of August 2002 damaged the building, which was repaired with donations, and a new shingle roof followed in 2010/11.
The exhibition traces the history of the Heidelbach glassworks and displays historical everyday glassware, glass chandeliers and four enamel-painted roundels from 1612 from the Purschenstein castle chapel. A depiction of a glassworks from the time of Georgius Agricola, a reconstructed glass furnace in an outbuilding and a workshop room illustrate how the glassmakers worked; there are also sections on the history of Neuhausen and the castle. On demonstration days, glass was blown and engraved in front of visitors.
The museum was run by volunteers from a support group within the local branch of the Erzgebirgsverein. It is currently temporarily closed; the municipality is looking for volunteers so that it can reopen.
Highlights
- History of the Heidelbach glassworks (1488–c. 1827)
- Enamel-painted glass roundels "Die vier Evangelisten" (The Four Evangelists) from 1612
- Glassworks from Agricola's time and a reconstructed glass furnace
- Historical glass chandeliers
Permanent exhibitions
- 800 Jahre Glasmacherei im Erzgebirge – Exhibition on the history of the forest glassworks in the Ore Mountains, focusing on the Heidelbach works, with historical glassware, tools, a model of a glassworks and a glass furnace; currently inaccessible due to the closure.
- Founded
- 1996
- Operated by
- Gemeinde Neuhausen/Erzgeb. mit Fördergemeinschaft im Erzgebirgszweigverein Neuhausen
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2.50Guest card holders, groups of 6 to 10 people, people with severe disabilities |
| Children & teens | €1.50free up to age 3 · Children aged 4 to 16 €1.50. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2.50Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities. |
| Groups (6+ people) | €2.50 per personGroups of 6 to 10 people €2.50 per person, 10 or more people €1.50 per person. |
Last published prices before the temporary closure.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Until the closure, glassblowing and glass engraving demonstrations were held regularly. |
