Glasmuseum Steina

The Glasmuseum Steina stands in the old village hall of Steina, a district of Bad Sachsa in the southern Harz region. The museum is run by the Förderverein Glasmuseum Steina e. V., founded in 1993. In 2010 the building was converted and made fully accessible. The museum traces the craft of glassmaking back to the early 16th century, when Hessian glassmakers settled in the Harz. Local supplies of sand, limestone, metal oxides and wood ash made glass production possible. The exhibition explains which raw materials were used and where they came from. A display called ‘Die Gläserne Spur’ follows the history of glassmaking as far back as ancient Egypt. Most exhibits focus on the 16th-century Waldglas period, when glass production in the South Harz reached its peak. The Landesherren later reduced the wood allotted to glassworks, forcing many furnaces to close by the late 17th century. The shortage of fuel ended the region’s dominance in glassmaking. Visitors find a clear route through the rooms that shows how glass was once made. Maps mark the places where sand, limestone and wood ash were gathered. Artefacts from the 16th century illustrate the techniques used by the Hessian glassmakers. The museum’s displays also include examples of glass from other periods and regions. Outside, the village of Steina remains a quiet reminder of the craft that once shaped the landscape.