Heckert Antique Glass 1

History of the Fritz Heckert Company and its Glass 

Although located in Warmbrunn, Silesia, the Heckert company played an important role in the Bohemian glass industry. Founded in 1866 by Fritz Heckert as a refinery of mirrors and carved glass pieces of the chandeliers, the company quickly expanded into the hollow glass enamelling obtained from nearby Josephinenhütte. Until 1889, Heckert specialized in replicas of the enameled glass of the seventeenth and eighteenth century, decorated in the “old German” style. In 1889, he acquired his own glass factory and began producing iridescent glass decorated in the Art Nouveau style.

Fritz died in 1890 and his widow, Zurillie, and his son-in-law, Otto Thamm, inherited the signature. At that time the company employed about 200 workers in the glass and refinery factories.

In 1898, the Heckert company produced its very popular orange and green crystal with specific motifs by Professor Max Rade in Dresden. After 1900, he will also use the motifs of the Ludwig Sütterlin Berliner; However, his designs were not well accepted and the company modified the designs of Wilhelm Meitzen and Professor Ribnik.

In 1902, Heckert participated in European exhibitions, and won a silver medal for decorative art in Turin. In 1904, he won a gold medal in St. Louis, which largely earned sales in the United States.

In 1905, Fritz’s son, Bruno, assumed the direction of the company until the end of World War I, when he sold the company to the Von Loesch family, who designed a director of Adolf Schoeps.

In 1923, the company was merged with Josephinenhütte and renamed “Jo-He-Ke, Petersdorf”. Two years later, Josephinenhütte completely absorbed the firm and incorporated the workers and buildings into its own manufacturing.