Genuine Christmas decorations made in Germany
Does your bauble wear a crown? Then it's genuine. Behind the little star crown lies a glassblowing family that has been shaping glass since 1597, an escape across the inner-German border and a touch of real sterling silver. Here's how to recognise genuine Christmas decorations made in Germany and why they last for decades.
- Inge Glas makes Christmas tree decorations in Neustadt near Coburg, mouth-blown and hand-painted.
- The Müller-Blech family's glassblowing tradition goes back to Lauscha in 1597.
- Mirrored inside with genuine sterling silver.
- The Star Crown® has been the manufactory's mark of authenticity since 1987.
Quality that goes back on the tree every year
Christmas decorations are not throwaway items. The most beautiful pieces come out of the box year after year and tell stories: of your first tree together, of children who look for "their" bauble every December. That's exactly why we at 4D OUTFITTERS choose tree decorations made to last for decades.
Inge Glas: one family, 15 generations
The story begins in 1597 in Lauscha in the Thuringian Forest, where ancestor Christoph Müller co-founded the village's first glassworks. In 1951 Heinz Müller-Blech fled from Thuringia to the West and founded a new workshop in Neustadt near Coburg, just a few metres behind the border. The manufactory is named after his wife, Inge. Today the family continues the craft in its 15th generation.
How a genuine glass ornament is made
- Mouth-blown: the glass is heated over a flame and blown freely or into a mould.
- Silvered: each piece is mirrored inside with a wafer-thin layer of genuine sterling silver. Hence the warm glow.
- Hand-painted: painters add colour, faces and glitter by hand.
- Inspected: only after quality control does the piece receive the star crown.
The in-house model workshop houses one of the world's largest collections of glassblowing moulds, including historical ones. The range covers more than 15,000 designs: classic baubles, tree toppers, clip-on birds and wonderfully crazy ornaments, from champagne bottles to Bavarian white sausages.
The Star Crown® has been Inge Glas's protected trademark since 1987. It guarantees that your ornament was handmade in Germany. Next time you buy one, check the crown of the bauble.
Curiosities about Christmas tree decorations
Things you probably didn't know
- The poor man's bauble (legend)
Legend has it that in 1847 a poor glassblower in Lauscha couldn't afford apples and nuts for his tree, so he blew them from glass instead. There is no proof. What is certain: in 1848 an order book records the first order for six dozen "Christmas baubles".
- No gasworks, no big baubles
Large, thin-walled baubles need a very hot flame. Only when Lauscha got a gasworks in 1867 did large-scale production become possible.
- Woolworth and 200,000 baubles
Around 1880, US retailer Frank Winfield Woolworth brought the first Christmas baubles from Thuringia to America. By around 1900 he is reported to have ordered some 200,000 pieces a year from Lauscha.
- First tin and lead, then silver
The first baubles were mirrored with an alloy of tin and lead. From around 1870 silvering took over, and it still gives baubles their typical glow today.
- Glass eyes come from Lauscha, too
In 1835 Ludwig Müller-Uri made the first artificial human eye from glass in Lauscha. The village's glass eyes revolutionised patient care.
- The "German" Christmas pickle
In the USA, a glass pickle on the tree is considered an old German custom: whoever finds it first gets an extra present. In Germany, hardly anyone knows it. In a YouGov survey, 91% of Germans had never heard of the legend. We stock it anyway: the Christmas pickle with Santa hat.
Fancy more crazy tree decorations, from Chianti to white sausage? Then read our article First-class Christmas decorations – made of glass.
Frequently asked questions about genuine Christmas decorations
How do I recognise genuine Inge Glas decorations?
By the Star Crown®. Since 1987 the crown has been the manufactory's protected trademark, standing for glass ornaments mouth-blown and hand-painted in Germany.
Where are Inge Glas Christmas decorations made?
In the company's own manufactory in Neustadt near Coburg in Bavaria, close to the Thuringian border. The family's glassblowing tradition comes from Lauscha.
Is there real silver in the glass baubles?
Yes. According to Inge Glas, every piece is mirrored inside with a wafer-thin layer of genuine sterling silver.
How should I store glass decorations?
Individually wrapped in tissue paper, in a sturdy box, kept dry and away from big temperature swings. That way they stay beautiful for many years.
Inge Glas at 4D OUTFITTERS
You'll find a large selection of Inge Glas at our boutique at Kornmarktstraße 7 in Bregenz and in our online shop. Shipping is free from € 200, you have a 14-day right of return and you collect stars in the 4D Insider Club with every order. Questions about a design? Write to service@4doutfitters.com.
Your 4D OUTFITTERS team, Bregenz
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