Björknäsin lasitehtaan Hesseniläiset lasinpuhaltajat vuosina 1736-1741

osa suomalaista lasihistoriaa

Authors

• Jyrki Ylijoki

Abstract

The Hessian glassblowers of Björknäs in 1736-1741: Part of the Finnish glass history

German glassblowers, who arrived in Finland via Sweden, are an essential part of the Finnish glassmaking history. In order to acquire glassmaking know-how, Sweden was compelled to recruit German glassblowers. In the German language area, glassmaking had centuries-old traditions, and glassblowers had kept close guard of their professional secrets. Studies made in the Nordic countries have usually discussed the German glassblowers as a uniform group, and their proper regions of origin have remained unknown. In earlier studies, Hessian glassblowers have not been examined as a separate group, and as such, a part of Nordic history of glassmaking. The aim of this study is to establish to which extent the German glassblower who were recruited to Björknäs glassworks, in the municipality of Boo near Stockholm, were specifically from Hesse. The study is limited to years 1736-1741, i.e. from the start-up of the glassworks to the situation in which the German glassblowers threatened to leave and return home when contracts expired. The German glassblowers recruited to Björknäs glassworks were virtually all from Northern Hesse. The problems that emerged during the recruiting process, and the events of 1741 were largely due to the common roots of the glassblowers.