Museum on the Lusatian glass industry in a manufacturer’s villa in Weißwasser – with workshops, Arsall and diatret glass and designs by Wilhelm Wagenfeld.
March 20, 2026 – November 1, 2026
Using the museum's porcelain collection, the history of the Porzellina porcelain works in Weißwasser is traced from its founding in 1895 to the finishing of delivered raw ware. Originally until 4 October 2026; extended.
From the 1870s, Weißwasser grew from a heath village into one of the most important glassmaking locations in the world: between 1872 and 1903 eleven glassworks were established here, favoured by sand, wood, clay and brown coal in the Muskau Arch as well as the connection to the Berlin–Görlitz railway line. Plans for a glass museum still failed in the 1960s and 1980s for lack of space.
At the end of 1992 the city council decided to set up the museum in the villa of the glass manufacturer Gelsdorf. The house was built in 1924/25 as the residence of the entrepreneur family, who had come to Weißwasser in 1877 with Silesian glassmaking families. In 1993 a support association was founded, which developed the concept and collection; after a first presentation at the end of 1994, the museum was officially opened in June 1996.
On the ground floor, the permanent exhibition tells of the history of the town and its industry and the development of glass furnaces. On the upper floor follow raw materials, moulds and a reconstructed stemware workstation, rooms on cutting, engraving, etching, painting and screen printing, as well as technical glass – including bulbs for early television picture tubes, which were first produced in Weißwasser in the early 1930s. Separate rooms are devoted to the Bauhaus designer Wilhelm Wagenfeld, who was artistic director of the Vereinigte Lausitzer Glaswerke from 1935 to 1947, and his successor Friedrich Bundtzen. Changing special exhibitions in the foyer complement the offering.
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €1.50free up to age 6 · Children up to the age of 7 free, children and young people up to the age of 17 €1.50. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount stated. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €3 per personGroup rate for 10 or more people: adults €3, children/young people up to 17 years €1.20, children up to 7 years and accompanying persons of school and day-care groups free. Registration requested. |
| Families | €72 adults with up to 2 children/young people up to the age of 17; each additional child €0.50. |
| Special exhibition only | €1Children/young people up to 17 years €0.50. |
| Tour for groups (max. 20 people) | €20Per group plus admission, by advance registration only. |
| Glass painting | €2Per participant plus admission, by advance registration only. |
Admission includes the special exhibition. With a family or social pass: adults €2, children/young people €0.50, family ticket €4. Cash only.
According to the museum, it is not barrier-free and not wheelchair-accessible.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €7 · 2 adults with up to 2 children/young people up to the age of 17; each additional child €0.50. |
Free museum rally for children and young people on their own smartphone or the museum tablet; regular workshops and craft activities during school holidays.
Weißwasser Bahnhof · 300 m
Weißwasser station, about 300 m on foot.
Parking available
Parking directly in front of the museum; access via Friedrich-Fröbel-Straße. Bicycle racks at the museum.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Tours for adult groups (about 1 hour) and school classes (about 90 minutes) by advance registration, also outside opening hours. Project days for school classes (3–4 hours). The museum also offers guided city walks and bike tours through Weißwasser. |
