Special Exhibitions: Sparkling Pearls and Liquid Glass

With two exhibitions, the Glass Museum invites visitors on a special journey through time. It presents 100 years of costume jewelry made of glass and 75 years of the glass industry in Wertheim. The exhibition "Sparkling Dreams – Glittering Glass Bead Jewelry" is dedicated to the over 100-year history of costume jewelry and highlights three valuable donations. The collection of the Döbbelin family includes all sample pieces from the Prade company – founded in Gablonz an der Neiße and known for high-quality handcrafted jewelry with international acclaim. The presentation is complemented by the private collection of the Bergander family, featuring necklaces from Venice and Greece, as well as works by contemporary female glass artists from the Westenweller collection, including Joy Munshower, JC Herrell, and Holly Cooper. In parallel, the exhibition "75 Years of the Glass Industry in Wertheim" commemorates a significant anniversary: In 1950, the first successful glass melting at the Wertheim glassworks marked the beginning of industrial glass production on site. Since then, Wertheim has developed into one of the most important centers of the German laboratory glass industry. The exhibition showcases exhibits from 18 glass companies based in Wertheim – from laboratory to textile glass fiber – and highlights the role of the glass industry as the heart of the city.