Anyone looking for glass Christmas tree decorations in Lauscha encounters a story that predates the bauble on the Christmas tree. It is the story of a glassworks in the Thuringian Forest, of home workshops and a craft that continues to evolve today. The museum, glassworks and workshops offer different perspectives: they reveal collections and history, glass production in progress and the work that goes into each individual decoration.
From the glassworks furnace to the home workshop
Lauscha was founded in 1597 with a glassworks. When a gasworks made it possible to operate burners in 1867, glass could be worked in more varied ways and with thinner walls. A cottage industry developed alongside the glassworks: tubes and rods were further processed, refined and turned into goods for sale.
The town dates the first glass fruits and nuts made in Lauscha to 1847. They are considered the forerunners of Christmas tree decorations. Initially, the pieces were given a reflective coating using a tin–lead alloy, and later silver nitrate. Around 1880, products from Lauscha also began to attract strong demand beyond the region. Through merchant firms in Sonneberg, the shapes made in home workshops entered international trade.
What defines the craft
Today, the tradition is listed in Germany’s Nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage as the “production of mouth-blown glass Christmas tree decorations from Lauscha”. This refers to a traditional manufacturing technique that remains alive as long as it is passed on and practised. The town highlights its family-run businesses, but also the shortage of new entrants to the trade.
To make lamp-blown decorations, glass is heated and shaped in a burner flame. Tubes are turned into hollow shapes, which are then decorated and painted. The work demands control over heat, material and breath: small differences in hand movements change the shape. According to the town, old tools and methods continue to be used while new designs are added.
Experience the museum and glass production
The Museum für Glaskunst places Christmas tree decorations within a broader history. Its collection ranges from early forest glass through glass beads and glass eyes to decorative arts and contemporary glass art. It reveals that Lauscha’s glass industry encompasses more than Christmas goods – and that techniques and products have influenced one another over time.
According to the town, visitors to the Farbglashütte can watch glass being produced, including tubes and rods being drawn and finished objects taking shape. A workshop demonstration brings the manufacturing process to life; the sale of a souvenir, by contrast, initially tells visitors only what the end result looks like. Both are part of a trip to Lauscha, but they answer different questions.
The Kugelmarkt during Advent
The Lauschaer Kugelmarkt has been announced for 28 and 29 November and 5 and 6 December 2026. The museum lists special opening hours of 10am to 6pm for these days. Its regular opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and Sundays and public holidays, 11am to 5pm; information correct as of 11 November 2026. When planning a visit, it is worth considering the market and museum together: the market puts the finished pieces centre stage, while the collection and workshops tell the story of how glass became cultural heritage in Lauscha.
Original reviewed by the editors · 11 November 2026
