Light returns: The new gable window of the furnace hall has been unveiled

It had been sealed off for many decades, bricked up in the 1930s and had disappeared from the furnace hall’s appearance. On Friday, 17 July 2026, the new gable window of the furnace hall saw the light again. It was officially unveiled in the presence of invited guests.

With its reopening, the listed Ofenhalle regains its historic appearance. At the same time, the window features an original detail from the south transept window of Cologne Cathedral, designed by Gerhard Richter, rendered in our mouth-blown coloured glass.

The interplay of these glass sheets creates a light that floods the hall with new energy. The connection to Cologne is no coincidence: the original windows in Cologne Cathedral were also created in 2007 using handcrafted mouth-blown glass from the Lamberts glassworks, crafted by the Derix Glass Studios in Taunusstein, Hesse. Derix has now also created the new gable window in Waldsassen using mouth-blown flat glass from Lamberts.

What is being created in Waldsassen thus returns, in a sense, to its origins. This is precisely the idea behind the renewal of our glassworks: the connection between heritage and the future, between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary art.

The reopening marks a significant milestone in the careful regeneration of our glassworks. It symbolises a respectful approach to living cultural heritage and the interplay between architecture, heritage conservation and contemporary art. The journey to this point was challenging. Whilst operations continued, the gable wall had to be opened up and reinforced. A massive scaffolding structure obscured the inner east side of our listed furnace hall.

The accompanying images show this journey from the initial work on the structure to the finished, luminous window. The short video brings the individual steps together to form an overall picture. The day’s celebrations began with a tour of the glassworks, during which guests were able to watch our glassmakers at work at the furnaces. This was followed by a ceremony featuring secular and religious addresses to mark the reopening of the historic gable window, before a light meal provided an opportunity for personal interaction.

The gable window is the first visible step on a longer journey. Further artist-designed windows are set to follow in the coming years. Waldsassen is thus becoming a place where works by internationally renowned artists can be seen in a unique interplay with the living craft of the glassworks.

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