The VDG (Society of German Glassblowers)

Scientific glassblowers were involved in pioneering developments beginning with the x-ray tube, the gas laser and up to the reactors for the semiconductor in development. Creative glassblowers fascinated humanity with their skills and the beauty of their products. Without scientific glassblowers the technique and research location Germany at universities and in private enterprise couldn’t be imagined. Who worked with glass once is often addicted for a lifetime. A glassblower who picks up new developments can give a positive impulse to research. Therefore, seminars like the European Glassblowers Sympoisum 2007 are of great importance for glassblowers and companies and get the full support of the VDG.

In January 1972, during a meeting called the “Wertheimer Glass Day’s”, 44 glassblowers met for the foundation meeting of the VDG. After the foundation, the number of members grew fast. These days, members need to be certified craftsmen in glassblowing. But in advising functions, also trainees and companies can hold a passive membership.
The first goals of the VDG are still similar to our goal we focus on today:

  • A modern and consistent apprenticeship and exams for the whole GDR
  • Publish regularly information to keep trainees, craftsman, masters and technicians up to date with the newest technical trends
  • Create a close collaboration between the industry, research groups, customers and other societies / organisations
  • Organize meetings for the glassblowers to keep in touch and create an exchange of knowledge and techniques


    • In 1975 the first issue of our journal, the VDG-Nachrichten, was published. Since then, there has been big interest of glassblowers in reading the VDG-Nachrichten, which are published four times a year. Technical information, product information, event notes and a job exchange are still the main subjects of the journal. But also more and more articles related to artistic glassblowing found their place in the journal.

    A big occasion for Germany and also for the VDG was the reunion of our country beginning with the fall of the Berlin wall in November 1989. Many glassblowers of eastern Germany became members of the VDG and now we have about 550 steady members in the society.

    Many changes recently took place in the craft of scientific glassblowers. Chemistry research changed its subjects, the market opened for low price countries and quartz glass got more and more important. To keep up with this development and globalisation, the VDG seeks close contact to foreign glassblowers and societies. Very often we glassblowers around the world focus on the same problems and can learn a lot from each other.

    For a while the VDG has been very active in the internet and provides actual and important information at www.vdg-ev.org. The website is constantly growing with the great goal of being an important informatory resource for all glassblowers.


    Chairmen Konstantin Kraft, Norbert Zielinski
    membership: vdg@seminar-ev.org   fax: 0+49 30 414 088 68, phone: +49 30 414 088 67

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