A journey through 100 years of company history

A bold move

On 4 January 1926, factory owner Otto Hugo Edmund Wiegand acquired the Menzel brothers’ glassworks and glass-cutting workshop, which had been founded just three years earlier but had since become insolvent. A bold move and the start of a 100-year success story at the site in Steinbach am Wald. Just a few weeks later, on 26 February 1926, the first hand-blown medical and packaging bottles rolled off the production line. The bulk of the bottles were shipped to England and Africa. In addition, bowls and dishes were produced from moulded glass. 100 years later, Joachim Wiegand, Otto Wiegand’s grandson, recalls his grandfather with pride: “Otto Wiegand was someone who tackled things head-on. He didn’t want to leave anything to chance.”

From artisanal production to industrial manufacturing

Otto Wiegand consistently drove forward mechanisation at his glassworks. The first machines changed everything. With the first semi-automatic machine in 1929 and the first fully automatic machine in 1941, industrial glass production became a reality in Steinbach am Wald. The new machines significantly boosted efficiency and competitiveness – bringing the company up to speed with the technical progress being made in neighbouring glassworks.

Joachim Wiegand recalls: “My grandfather knew that if you don't go forward, you go backwards.” The guiding principle “Standing still means falling behind” continues to shape the company to this day. 

And Otto Wiegand also demonstrated his pioneering spirit beyond the production floor: after several fires had broken out at the glassworks, he promptly set up his own in-house fire brigade in 1936. Due to the multi-shift operation, there were always staff present at the glassworks. The Wiegand fire brigade was therefore invariably the first on the scene.

The Link to Prosperity

Today, Steinbach am Wald lies in the heart of Germany. This was not always the case. For a long time, the town was regarded as being in a logistically difficult location. With the arrival of the railway in 1885, conditions for the town changed fundamentally. Whilst in his Thuringian hometown of Neustadt am Rennsteig, all raw materials and finished goods still had to be laboriously transported by horse-drawn carts to the nearest railway station, in Steinbach am Wald the railway line ran practically right up to the factory – an invaluable logistical and economic advantage for Otto Wiegand.

For Steinbach am Wald, the glassworks was certainly a stroke of luck: jobs were created, industry established itself in the area, and many families found work and prospects in the region. In 1948, the works was given its own railway siding. Since then, raw materials and finished products have been transported directly by rail – a logistics route that is still in use today.

Destroyed three times – rebuilt three times

The economic crisis, the war years and political upheavals also left their mark on Steinbach am Wald and the glassworks. Between 1942 and 1953, the factory was severely affected on three occasions: by an explosion in the generator area, a bombing raid in 1945 and a major fire in the ‘Weiße Hütte’ in 1953.

The war and post-war years placed great demands on the staff and the company. Yet, thanks to perseverance, craftsmanship and a firm determination to rebuild, they managed to make a new start and move forward once again to make a fresh start and carry on.

At the same time, the Wiegand family embraced technical innovation and continuous investment from a very early stage. This combination of resilience, a commitment to quality and a forward-looking approach laid the foundations for the further development of Wiegand-Glas – and continues to challenge the company to this day.

Our location is our standpoint

After the Second World War, the Wiegand family’s businesses were gradually expropriated: Dux in 1945, followed a few years later by the factories in Gießübel, Gehren, Hohe Tanne and Neustadt am Rennsteig. Only the factory in Steinbach am Wald remained in the family’s possession. The location in Bavaria proved to be a decisive advantage and became the foundation for the company’s further development. Despite often difficult conditions in this border zone, Wiegand-Glas remained steadfastly committed to it. For the Wiegand family, Steinbach am Wald has always been more than just a production site. Their connection to the Thuringian Forest and the Franconian Forest, to the people of the region and to glass as a material has been with the family for generations. Although the opportunities for physical expansion locally were never unlimited, the company remained loyal to its home. “Every company has its location. Where our business stood, remained and grew is our home. We have deep roots in this area; it has shaped us. That is why our location is also a standpoint.” This is how Joachim Wiegand sums up the attitude that continues to shape the family business and the philosophy of Wiegand-Glas to this day.