| During the Seventeenth Century, Bohemia,
| |
| | shops. Marketing was left in the hands of
|
| in the then Austro-Hungarian Empire, was
| |
| | a series of trading companies, exporting
|
| the glass making capital of Europe. Its
| |
| | the beads as far a field as India and
|
| seemingly endless forests gave the glass
| |
| | South America.
|
| makers all the timber they needed to fire
| |
| | Due to the beads being marketed in this
|
| their ovens.
| |
| | manner, the Riedel name never appeared on
|
| The Riedel story began with Johann
| |
| | any until 1890 when Josef Riedel The
|
| Christoph. Born in 1678, he worked as a
| |
| | Younger headed the company. Being and
|
| merchant based in Sudetenland and made a
| |
| | excellent chemist and engineer, he
|
| small fortune by exporting the glassware
| |
| | transformed the bead manufacturing
|
| produced in his home region, as far a
| |
| | process by using mechanical cutters and
|
| field as Spain and Portugal. Even though
| |
| | introduced a range of some six hundred
|
| travel at that time was arduous and
| |
| | colors.
|
| sometimes dangerous, the money he made
| |
| | During World War II, the Riedel glass
|
| more than compensated him for any
| |
| | works fell into the hands of the Nazis
|
| discomfort he endured.
| |
| | when they invaded Czechoslovakia. Riedel
|
| Johann's son: Johann Carl made a living
| |
| | was forced to abandon the manufacture of
|
| in his own glass cutting and gilding
| |
| | luxury goods and, instead, take on the
|
| workshop. But it wasn't until the end of
| |
| | development of "picture tubes" which were
|
| the Austrian-Prussian Seven-Year War in
| |
| | an integral part of the German's radar
|
| 1756 that the Riedel family really began
| |
| | system. Unfortunately, when the Russians
|
| to make their mark.
| |
| | invaded Berlin in 1945, one of these
|
| The region's property had been devastated
| |
| | Riedel picture tubes was found and the
|
| during this time and major re-development
| |
| | inventor, Walter Riedel, was imprisoned
|
| work ensued. Johann Leopold established
| |
| | for ten years and made to work for them.
|
| the family's first glass works, which
| |
| | Whilst Walter was locked away in Russia,
|
| opened for business in 1756 and
| |
| | the now Communist, Czech government
|
| specialized in making replacement
| |
| | confiscated the Riedel family's
|
| windows. His real claim to fame was that
| |
| | possessions and took charge of, and
|
| he designed a method whereby damaged
| |
| | nationalized, their companies.
|
| stained glass, which would have cost a
| |
| | On being released from imprisonment in
|
| small fortune to repair, was replaced
| |
| | 1955, Walter returned to Austria where
|
| with ordinary window panes.
| |
| | family friends, the Swarovskis, funded
|
| As the next generation, in the form of
| |
| | the opening of a factory, headed by
|
| Anton Leopold, took the helm, the
| |
| | Walter and his son, Claus J. It opened
|
| company's operations moved away from
| |
| | its doors in 1956, specializing in mouth
|
| window panes and the focus shifted toward
| |
| | blown glass products.
|
| ornate glass and chandelier components.
| |
| | Claus J. introduced the production of art
|
| A couple of generation later, and the
| |
| | forms to the factory and started upon the
|
| Riedel glass works relocated to Polaun.
| |
| | development of the, now, world famous
|
| By now, firing glass ovens by burning
| |
| | Riedel Stemware. Steering clear of the
|
| timber was old hat. Coal was both cheaper
| |
| | usual heavy, cut glass, Claus went for
|
| and more efficient and with Polaun being
| |
| | thin-blown, long wine glasses and gained
|
| on the rail-network, deliveries could be
| |
| | much, world wide, admiration from both
|
| made directly to the factory. The rail
| |
| | customers and museums alike.
|
| link also served in dispatching the
| |
| | Today, 11 generations later, Riedel is an
|
| finished products with ease. At this
| |
| | international company with Maximillian
|
| point in its history, Riedel employed
| |
| | Josef heading operations in North America
|
| some twelve hundred or so workers,
| |
| | and Riedel enjoying unprecedented
|
| producing mainly glass beads and blanks
| |
| | success.
|
| that were then sold on to finishing
| |
| |
|
