Czech glass has confirmed its world level and reputation. Just now ( December 2023), the domestic hand-made production of glass was added to the list of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage. The application, submitted by the Czech Republic together with France, Finland, Hungary, Germany, and Spain, was approved by the organization’s intergovernmental committee at a meeting in Botswana.
In 2005, the Slovak verbuňk dance was the first to be inscribed on the UNESCO list of domestic intangible cultural heritage, and most recently vorařství last year. In the Czech Republic, in addition to the Ministry of Culture, the Museum of Glass and Bijoux in Jablonec nad Nisou, as well as representatives of individual glass smelters, schools, and professional organizations, participated in the preparation of documents related to the registration of handmade glass production.
“Glassmaking is an important industry especially in the Liberec and Zlín Regions and also in the Highlands. It is also a topic for which people travel to the Czech Republic from all over the world, and I believe that thanks to today’s inscription on the UNESCO list, there will be even more. I congratulate the glassmakers and everyone who participated in this success,” says František Reismüller, director of the Czech Tourism Office – CzechTourism, and adds: “Czech glass is of interest not only to tourists from Europe, who could, for example, see Crystal Valley on the main news of French TV channel TF1, it is also attractive for guests from Asia, who since March of this year can get to us better thanks to the direct flight between Prague and Seoul. Details about domestic glassmaking in all corners of the Czech Republic, including what is new in the given sector, can also be found on our portal Kudy z nudy.
The technological uniqueness of Czech glass can be seen all over the country. In the past, specifically in 2020, it was confirmed by the fact that the production of Christmas ornaments from blown glass pearls was added to the list of intangible cultural heritage of UNESCO. It was preserved in the Rautis company in Poniklá in the Giant Mountains.
At the same time, unlike other countries, Czech glass production includes all techniques. In addition to the above-mentioned traditional production of Christmas ornaments, this includes – together with the preparation and production of glass raw materials – also blowing, grinding, painting, coiled pearls, production of tubes, jewelery sticks and more.
So far, the Czech Republic has had a total of 32 inscriptions in UNESCO. Most recently, Žatec and the Žatec hop landscape succeeded, becoming the 17th Czech tangible monument on this list and the first ever hop heritage with this world mark.