GLASS MAKING

Molten glass that is to say silica glass thanks to flux such as soda or caustic potash wich lower fusion temperature, has been known since the four-thousand anniversary before J.C. in Egypt and in Mesopotamia.

Until B.C. hollow bodies were made following the method of cast iron moulding in the sand. It is just in the first century before J.C. that the Romans knew how to use rods which are still used nowadays.

The recognition of glass making isn’t mentioned before 1330.

FLYING GLASS FACTORIES

Originally, glass-making workshops made up with some glassworkers settled in the middle of a forest of beeches. Once the wood was used, the equipment was carried elsewhere hence the appellation of flying glass factory.

THE OPPOSITION OF NEIGHBOURHOOD

These installations have not always been realized without any difficulties. Lords who had allocated forests criticized glassworkers. Abbot de Lucelle says in 1693 : «that we’ll have to lay into rascal of glassworkers who waste our woods. When I’d like to drive them away and strike them with a stick, they laugh and worsen the damaging contrary to all agreements».

MATTSTALL GLASSWORKS

This glassworks was founded in 1556 according to the lease granted by baron from Fleckenstein to Ulrich Greiner from Finsternroth in the region of Mainhard Wald in the last of Heilbronn.

Act of April 23rd 1556 :

«Me, Ulrich Greiner from Finsternroth acknowledge and declare that our Henri from Fleckenstein, baron of Dagstul, my kindly lord, allowed me to build a glassworks in his forest of beeches from Mattstall, the whole in accordance with the following agreement.»

«Me, Henri from Fleckenstein, baron of Dagstul, acknowledge and declare having allowed Ulrich Greiner from Finsternroth and his heirs to build a glassworks in my forest of beeches and to run it as a whole in an orderly way for 20 years as from this day.
It will be possible to extend the period of the agreement.
They will be allowed to cut and burn for their own needs and their oven all the wood necessary except oak wood.
No one will be allowed to cut except my heirs for their own use.
For that, Ulrich Greiner and his heirs will pay cash each year as from Saint Georges’s day on 23 April 1557, 50 florins worth Strasbourg.
Moreover, they will pay for each acre of meadow or field 3 kreutzers a measure of corn and the tithe.
What’s more, for each house built by the glassworker or by his mate they will pay one schilling of Strasbourg each year as land tax.
They will deliver a hen for Carnival, another one at harvest time and one for Saint Martin’s day as all inhabitants do.
Moreover, for my house, they will deliver half-price 200 wineglasses made in their glass factory as well as window panes my heirs or I will need for our buildings.
It is also agreed that during acorn harvest time glassworkers will refrain from burning wood in the forest in order not to disturb the leading of pigs to acorn harvest by those to whom this right will have been granted. Ulrich Greiner, his heirs, his servants, his valets will have to be submissive, obedient and respectful towards my heirs.
If the lesser of his heirs had to stop glass making for lack of wood or beech or for another reason, they will continue paying for the land tithe of the 100 acres of land alloted and will deliver the hens as before.»

To certify the fairness of this act, baron Henri from Fleckenstein affixes his seal on St Georges’s day in the year 1556.

Ulrich Greiner swore to God to respect every article in the lease and affixes his seal too.

When he signed this contact Ulrich Greiner was still the owner from Finsternroth.

He just sold it on Saint Urbain’s day in 1559 for 3500 florins to lord Casimir of Hohenlohe.

Anne Ott, Ulrich Greiner’s wife belonged to the Heilbronn middle class.

Concerning her children, we just know Balthasar (Balthes) who stayed in Wurtemberg in the forest of Mainhardt and Agathe who gets married with Jean Wild from Wissembourg.

Besides his glass factory in Mattstall near Lembach (67) Ulrich Greiner founded for himself and his descendents, he bought the Kreenberg glass factory near Lembach too, to his nephew Christophe Greiner, a master glassworker.

From this Christophe Greiner descends a lineage in Alsace of which Albert Greiner in Paris, the president of lutherian church in France.

It’s Jean-Pierre Greiner born in Mattstall sybille Katherine Schmoll’s husband ( born in Speyer) who built the huge house in Mattstall in 1663.

It still bears the following inscriptions on the top of the door :

	Der Herr bewahre Unsern Eingang und Ausgang von nun an bis in Ewigkeit God protects our entrance and our leaving now and forever
Ich Johann Peter Greiner Glashüttenmeister allhier geboren-1663 Me Jean-Pierre Greiner a glassfactory owner born here live here in 1663		Ich Sybille Katherine Greinerin Glashüttenmeisterin allhier geboren in Speyer-1663 Me Sybille Katherine Greiner the owner of a glassfactory born in Speyer live here in 1663
	Back on the past of Sophie Greiner's descendents

The tower in the middle was added afterwards.

It’s Jean-Louis Greiner born on April 24th 1769 in Mattstall that created the glass factory in Lemberg (Palatinate). He got married in 1789 with Sophie Catherine Stutz a master glassworker’s daughter.

The Lemberg glass factory made window, spectacles and watch glasses.

Friedrich Greiner, Jen-Louis Greiner’s son built the house in Lemberg in 1835.

The last owner’s glass factory in Lemberg was Louis Nicolas Greiner. For lack of beech wood the glass factory collapsed under his management (Louis Nicolas was Sophie Greiner’s brother, Heinrich Stengel’s wife, Françoise Stengel’s parents.

In 1797 Jean Christian Licht whose father was partly a master in the glass factory in Lemberg (Palatinate) got married with Concordia Greiner and was consequently the co-owner of the Mattstall glass factory.

The locality « La Verrerie » remained their property until its transfer to the Bussière family which was followed by the Pourtales family.

The reasons which pushed the last Greiners from Mattstall to sell their huge glass factory are still unknown. Is it for political reasons or because of the lack of beech wood ?

The tradition claims that glassworkers get married within their occupation so that glass making secrets can not be revealed.

This tradition was respected in my family.

My great-great-grandfather Heinrich Stengel originating from a glassworker family in the Palatinate for several generations (among them Johann Gottfried Stengel who died on October 29th 1783, a master glassworker at Prince Ludwig IX of Hessen -Darmstadt Court, heir to the throne, worked at the Lemberg glass factory (Germany). He got married with Sophie Greiner whose ancestors’ life I related above.

When the Lemberg glass factory closed, he settled in Trois-Fontaines (57) with his family where he found a job.

Joseph Hirtz, initiated into glass making and selling by Mr Portal in Paris was appointed sub-manager. He met Heinrich Stengel’s daughter Françoise he got married with in 1879. He formed a partnership with his father-in-law in order to buy the mill in Bettling-Buhl (57) they turned into a glass factory.

The workers of the Hirtz-Stengel glass factory with their children.

 

Heinrich Stengel left for the USA thrice in order to assemble ovens designed to get glasses balloon shape.

In 1910 workshops from Bettling-Buhl being too cramped, the firm bought the mill in Sarrewerden (67) in order to build other ovens and a place for engraving glasses. Heinrich Stengel died in 1918 at the age of 99.

Between the two wars, the company was run by Joseph Hirtz and his sons among whom my grandfather Léon Hirtz.

In 1944 the factory was badly damaged by the war.

In 1956 Robert Hirtz, my father became the chairman and managing director. He launched a new making : glass silver plating and mirror making for rear-view mirrors.

Robert Hirtz and his father Léon Hirtz left the company in 1962 taken up by Ernest Hirtz.

His son, Bernard, succeeded him in 1983 at the head of the board of directors.

 

Hirtz glass factories in Sarrewerden.

 

 

REFERENCES :

Verreries et verriers au pays de Sarrebourg (Antoine Stenger)

Verreries et verriers à Mattstall et Lembach (Antoine Stenger)

Chronique « Greiner » Robert Greiner (Louis Nicolas Greiner’s grandson and Gottfried Greiner and Louise Hostberger’s son who can be considered as the second creators of the Lemberg glass factory in the Palatinate

Genealogical files (Robert's files born on May 18th 1917 and died on June 29th 1997).