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furnace techniques. The ancient glass
makers were very clever, due to the
fact that they used relatively little sand
for the glass production which raised
the melting point. The temperature of
only 1000 degrees Celsius was enough
to melt quartz using flux materials. As
you may read in the oldest prescription
for manufacturing glass (from approx.
650 B.C.): “take sixty parts sand,
hundred eighty parts ashes from sea
plants, five parts saltpeter, five parts
chalk - and you get glass“. The quartz
sand share is today about 60 percent
but proves to be no problem for the
modern furnace technology that heats
to over 1500 degrees Celsius.
We are glad to see that the Flacon
Glass Museum in Kleintettau has such
wonderful ancient glass collection. It is
fascinating to see that 2,500 years ago
artists were also able to manufacture
flacons in coloured glass by adding
metallic oxides. The main centers for
glass processing in ancient times were
the areas at Euphrates and Tigris, the
Caspian Sea along with Syria and
Egypt. From here the Romans took over
this handicraft knowledge and brought
it to their empire – also to the partly
occupied Germania. The ancient
exhibits in Kleintettau are originating
from the Old Orient. The Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Persia
(1941-1979) assigned these valuable
objects to a his German lawyer who
offered them to the European Flacon
Glass Museum. The Glass Preserver
Association at Rennsteig is trying now
to enrich the museum with further
attractive exhibits from the French
Rococo times.
Good news from the Leader
Action Group in Kronach
On February 3rd, the executive board of the Glass Preservation Association
at Rennsteig e.V. got very good news. The president of the Leader Action
Group of district Kronach, district chief executive Mr. Oswald Marr, informed
in writing that the committee has collectively agreed that the project of the
European Flacon Glass Museum at Rennsteig is estimated having above
average eligiblilty. With this being said, costs for further projects, at a
expense of approximately 585.000 Euros, could be sponsored at a maximum
promotion rate of 50% percent out of the European Leader funds.
The Glass Preservation Association at Rennsteig said many thanks to the
Leader Action Group for granting this generous support, the second highest
fiscal support after the Upper Franconia Foundation, for the Flaconium, i.e.
the European Flacon Glass Museum in Kleintettau. This can also be seen as a
further strong promotion for the future development of the Rennsteig region.
Kleintettau, Febr. 9th, 2010
HEINZGLAS KLEINTETTAU
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