Glassmaking Tradition
In the 15th and 16th centuries German glassmakers arrived in the Jizera Mountains and established small glassworks in the forests. The terrain was rugged and impenetrable, which made it impossible to establish a continuous glass industry. Semi-finished products of glassworks were therefore processed and formed over a burner at home.
The production of glass beads gradually spread from the Jizera Mountains to the Krkonoše Mountains, especially to areas surrounding the villages of Vítkovice, Benecko and Poniklá.
At the beginning of the 20th century companies producing and exporting beads were established, which resulted in a great technological development, especially of forms. Not only round glass beads, but also various olives, pears or facetted beads called “rauty” are blown.