Once the collector has been through all the books, the auction catalogues and the jpeg's on the internet, once he has worked his way through the in-depth literature and studio quality pictures that can be found in the best publications, once he has compared them to the (modest) collection that decorates his shelves, he might still get that unconvenient feeling: "I ain't seen nothing yet..."
Luckily, a great part of the Bohemian glass treasure has been saved in museums in the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria. Not all of the Phänomen vessels and fabulous designs of the Vienna masters have got into the hands of the wealthy collector.



Glass museum Novy Bor

The museum in this North Bohemian town has already been there for more than 100 years. It shows the development in styles and glass technology in the region and, though not abundantly represented, there are some remarkable Art Nouveau vases on permanent display. Among them some rare Loetz pieces.

Sklárské Muzeum   CZ-473 01 Nový Bor Nám.Míru 105 Tel. +42 424 32196 Open Tuesday-Monday 9.00 -12.00, 13.00 -16.00
		The glass museum in Novy Bor, (© UK)		Rubin Phänomen Gre. 6893, 1898, I - 7636, (© UK) This vase can be seen in the glass museum in Novy Bor

As the glass industry metropolis the town also houses several glass artists and some of them produce craftfully iridized remakes of the Klostermühle models. In respect to the originals they are all signed and dated.
Two names come to mind here: Jan Zeman and Vaclav Stepanek. Especially Stepanek succeeded in mastering the highly demanding techniques that were used on Loetz glass. Helmut Ricke's books have a conspicuous place on one of the shelves in his shop..., but nevertheless the experienced eye can easily distinguish the new ones from the originals.

Glass Studio Stepanek   CZ-473 01 Novy Bor  Ke Koupalisti 1315   Tel./fax. +42 0424 221608 http://www.stepanekglass.cz/index_en.html

Hutni studio Jana Zemana CZ-473 01 Novy Bor Dvorakova 287 Tel./fax +42 0424 223843 pfauserova@ferromet.cz

These are a few examples of the work of Vaclav Stepanek. They are all signed as in the example above. "01" stands for the year of production.

Copies , made by V. Stepanek, © VS.  The chalice is in the Medici decor.	Copies of prod. nr. 2 / 619, made by V. Stepanek, © VS.  This decor was not a Loetz decor.	Copies of prod. nr. 85 / 3861, made by V. Stepanek, original design: R. Holubetz,        © VS

But weren't we looking for the real thing?
For the next visit we have to travel about 150 km south.
There is the Sumava museum in the nice little town of Kašperské Hory, deep in the South Bohemian forest.
The exhibition shows medieval glass, archeological finds and historic glass since the 17th century. Very well documented are the glassworks of Adolfov, Annin and of course Klašterske Mlyn (Klostermühle). The Loetz pieces they show are not often found in glass literature. They vary from early Phänomen models to cameo types and designs by Hoffmann.

Of special interest is the archive of Loetz designs that is kept in this museum. It was the source for "H. Ricke,Lötz, 1880-1940, Band 2, Katalog der Musterschitte"

Muzeum Šumavy Kašperské Hory                    
CZ-341 92 Kašperske Hory
Nám stí 140
Tel. +42 187 922226 or 922505
Open daily from 9 am until 5 pm, from May-October

		If you ever get there, don't forget to visit the nearby town of Klaštersky Mlyn (Klostermühle) where it all began... The glass works are gone of course, but you can still admire the glass bird mosaic at the entrance of Max von Spaun's villa: another "unsigned Loetz". (design R. Teschner)
Picture: © Eddy Scheepers

Before we go to what I call "Loetz Paradise" we'll have to make a stop in Lenora (Eleonorenhain), about 40 km. South-West of Kašperské Hory. That's where the Kralik works used to be and in the local glass museum you're welcomed by a friendly couple who'll put huge slippers on your feet, over your shoes, so you can carefully shovel around over the pine floor, between the show-windows with Kralik pieces.

Sklarské muzeum Lenora
CZ-384 42 Lenora
Obecní ú ad
Tel. +42 389 98804
Open from May-October    Monday-Friday 9 am-1pm and 2-4pm
                                          Saturday-Sunday 9-12

Glass museum Passau

To admire the greatest collection of Bohemian glass though, you have to cross the German border and drive to Passau.
The collection in the glass museum there is really stunning and certainly the largest in the world.
30,000 pieces, divided over 5 floors, offer a survey of the development of Bohemian glass from Barok to the 20th century.  Almost the complete first floor is dedicated to the Loetz collection.  From the classically inspired Onyx over the wavy Phänomen genres, to the orange, blue and black coloured Titania.  Powolny, Marie Kirschner, Moser, Hofmann and Hofstötter, silver overlaid models, cameo types, they're all there: an unexhaustible source of information and beauty for the collector.
And if you've ever wondered: "Is this a Loetz?", you might find the answer here.   Pallme-König, Rindskopf and Kralik, along with many unknown Bohemian manufacturers, these hard to distinguish look-alikes show their real identity, only a few steps further.
And if this weren't enough, on the second floor you can find the finest examples in the production of Meyer's Neffe, Moser, Harrach and not to forget an unequalled and large collection of F. von Poschinger.

Highlights of the collection are described in the series "Das Böhmische Glas"

Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf
The Glassmuseum Hentrich

The Kunstmuseum in Düsseldorf  has a special tie with glass.  An impressive stained-glass window in the entry hall leaves no doubt about that. It reaches from the floor to the high ceiling and, though much more secular, reminisces of the windows in medieval cathedrals. The glass collection on the ground floor is one of the finest in the world.   It shows the development of glass manufacturing from the 6th. century B.C. until modern times.  A great part of the exhibited pieces was donated by Prof. Dr. Helmut Hentrich. Art Nouveau glass is well represented and so is, of course, Loetz.  Several of the pieces pictured in "Lötz, 1880-1940, Band I" can be seen here in person, among them two original Persian water sprinklers,  next to their Tiffany and Loetz equivalents. Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf Im Ehrenhof Ehrenhof 5 Düsseldorf Germany tel.   + 49 211 8992461 / 63 fax   + 49 211 8929173 / 8929046 Open Monday - Saturday 11.00 - 18.00

Joanneum Graz

Parts of the Loetz collection of the Joanneum museum in  Graz, Austria were described in the books written by Dr. W. Neuwirth. This museum has its own web site. It tells you more about the current exhibitions and for the Loetz lover there are a few nice examples of Hofstätter and Hoffmann designs.   Click on the logo on the left.

MAK Wien

Click on the picture to go to the Museum für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna.  A fine Loetz collection is permanently on display.

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Landesmuseum Linz

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