A relic of the early days of glass-making can be seen in the old hammer-mill at Orrefors, 17km/10mi northwest of Nybro. In this village of some 900 inhabitants an old iron foundry using bog-ore was still operating in the latter part of the 19th century. The glassworks established here in 1898 is now part of the Orrefors Glasbruk company founded in 1937. Originally producing window glass and glass for industrial use, the company now makes lamps and decorative glassware; and in association with the Sandvik glassworks in Hovmantorp it also produces good-quality glassware for everyday use at moderate prices.
The Orresfors works can claim to have pioneered the manufacture of the glassware for which Sweden is now famed, having been the first firm to employ designers in this field in 1915. This marked the beginning of what is known as the Gate-Hald period, which made Swedish glass famous throughout the world. Simon Gate and Edvard Hald were the two designers who, together with Lindstrand, Landberg, Palmqvist, Öhrström and Lundin, gave Orrefors glass its artistic form and developed a distinctive style.
At the Orrefors works is a Glass Museum, with an interesting display of glass of the Gate-Hald period. The largest glass museum in northern Europe is at Växjö. All the glassworks in the Glass Country have showrooms in which their products are on sale, and visitors can usually also watch the glass-blowers at work. In many of the glass-making towns there are annual fairs and festivals, frequently accompanied by musical events.
Read More
Read Less
