Christmas baubles, born in the deep of the Vosges forests
No Christmas baubles, no Christmas tree!
But do you know where Christmas baubles were invented? Believe it or not, they originated in 1858 at the Goetzenbruck glassworks in the Moselle department of Lorraine.
To understand how Christmas baubles came to be in the deep forests of the Northern Vosges Mountains, we must go back several centuries, to a time when glass-makers were nomadic. They indeed moved from valley to valley, settling where the dense forests provided them with enough wood to fuel their glass furnaces.
These artisans stayed as long as the wood was available, then moved on to the next valley and started again. This way of life continued until the beginning of the 18th century.
By then, roads had become more passable, making transport easier and safer. It was no longer necessary to transport heavy ovens and to travel on foot along potholed roads infested with bandits, in the freezing cold of Lorraine winters.
Meisenthal glassworks, founded in 1704
Legend has it that a group of glass-makers, lacking wood for their furnaces, settled in a pleasant valley nestled in the heart of wooded hills. There they set up their furnaces and established themselves permanently. In 1702, Duke Leopold I of Lorraine, impressed by the quality of their work, officially authorized them to create the first permanent glass-works. The glass-makers soon lit their first furnaces and built their houses around the workshop, thus forming the heart of the village of Meisenthal, “the valley of the blue tits.”
Christmas baubles, the story
In 1721, four of the founding families of Meisenthal decided to establish another glass-works further up the valley, in the village of Goetzenbruck. Initially conceived as an annex to the Meisenthal glassworks, the Goetzenbruck glassworks later became a completely independent factory.
However, it’s important to understand that in the 18th century, the Goetzenbruck glass-works was not yet producing luxury items. It initially manufactured utilitarian glassware (bottles, jars), but over time, glassblowing techniques improved. The glass-makers of Goetzenbruck began blowing large hollow glass spheres to make curved lenses and specialized in optical glass, particularly for watches, instruments, and eyeglasses. They blew enormous glass spheres, from 10 cm to nearly a meter in diameter, which they then broke into small pieces and cut to the desired size. Christmas baubles were still a long way off!
The production of the first Christmas baubles didn’t begin until 1858, and quite by chance! That summer, Lorraine was struck by a severe drought, and the apple trees bore no fruit! Tradition dictated that apples be used to decorate Christmas trees, along with ribbons and twelve candles symbolizing the twelve months of the year and the twelve apostles. To compensate for the lack of apples, the glass-makers of Götzenbrück created the first Christmas baubles in silvery, shiny glass. They were an immediate success! This is how the ancestor of modern Christmas baubles was born!
But these silvery, shiny glass balls weren’t just for Christmas. They were also hung in gardens to scare away birds, or in houses to ward off evil spirits and witches. Some people even placed them in birdcages so that lonely birds could see their reflection and feel company! Surprisingly, the army also used these glass balls, not to ward off spirits, of course, but as targets for firing and missile tests. Decorators quickly recognized their potential: these shimmering spheres soon adorned ballrooms and even reached Thailand, where they were used to decorate pagodas and temples.
Glass-making continued to develop throughout the 19th century. But it wasn’t until after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, when Alsace and Lorraine were annexed by the German Empire, that Christmas baubles truly became a common sight in our homes. The Germans had been celebrating Christmas with decorated fir trees since the late Middle Ages, and this tradition spread to eastern France.
The Götzenbrück glass-works continued industrial glass production (particularly for lenses) until the mid-20th century, when it merged with Saint-Gobain, a major French glass company. Industrial production ceased, and the site is now primarily dedicated to history. Among the few remaining vestiges from this era is the glass-makers’ chapel, built in 1721.
The Golden Age and Renaissance of the Meisenthal Glassworks
Meanwhile, the Meisenthal glass-works acquired considerable renown as the birthplace of Art Nouveau glass. From 1867 to 1894, the famous artist Émile Gallé, originally from Nancy, worked there, experimenting with new glass-making techniques.
The 20th century brought further growth: in 1920, a vast glass hall was built, employing over 650 workers who produced tens of millions of pieces, from glasses and carafes to complete tableware sets.
By the 1960s, Meisenthal had become one of the jewels of the Lorraine glass industry, producing around 250,000 pieces per year. But this golden age came to an end with the advent of mechanized glass-making and, unfortunately, plastic.
The Meisenthal glass-works closed its doors on December 31, 1969.
Fortunately, in the 1980s, a team of passionate volunteers revived the site, transforming it into a cultural and craft centre dedicated to preserving Lorraine’s glass-making heritage. Today, the Meisenthal glass-works is a museum, a workshop, and a cultural hub. It houses three main institutions:
The Glass and Crystal Museum traces the history of glass-making and displays masterpieces by Émile Gallé as well as pieces from the prestigious crystal houses of Saint-Louis and Lalique.
The Centre International d’Art Verrier – International Center for Glass Art (CIAV), founded in 1998 in the former workshop, serves as both a museum and a workshop, a place for production, demonstration, training, and creation. It is here that the famous Meisenthal glass Christmas baubles are still handcrafted.
The Grande Verrière – Great Glass Roof, restored in 2005, is now a cultural space hosting exhibitions and concerts, and can accommodate up to 3,000 people.
This revival was made possible thanks to the master glass-makers of other major Lorraine glass-works (Lalique, Saint-Louis, Goetzenbruck, Montbronn, and Lemberg) who pass on their expertise to a new generation. These young artisans proudly perpetuate the tradition, creating a unique and original design each year, much to the delight of collectors worldwide.
Today, Meisenthal’s handcrafted Christmas baubles are highly sought after. It is heartening to see that the public still appreciates quality and tradition. At around €24 each (2025 price), they may not be as inexpensive as mass-produced decorations, but it is the price to pay to preserve the art, heritage, and magic of this exceptional place.
Directions: 1 Place Robert Schuman – 57960 Meisenthal – Moselle
Wikimedia Commons: Header and chandelier by Espirat is CC BY-SA 4.0 – Meisenthal international studio for glass by Calips is CC BY-SA 3.0 – Meisenthal in 1860 by Charles Henri Hancké is Domaine public – Meisenthal today by Speculos is CC BY-SA 4.0 – Glassmakers’ chapel by Didivo67 is CC BY-SA 4.0 – Goetzenbruch village by Philippe57620 is CC BY-SA 4.0
