Medieval Glassworks near Loich

In 1391, a “Glashutten”, or glassworks, was recorded near Loich in the Kirchberg an der Pielach area. The historic farm name “Glashütten”, preserved at Schroffengegend 3, may retain the memory of this medieval industrial site. However, the available sources do not yet prove that the furnaces stood exactly at the present farmhouse. Like other medieval forest glassworks, the workshop was probably located close to abundant woodland. Wood was needed both to fire the furnaces and to produce potash, an essential ingredient in the glass mixture. Because of their enormous demand for raw materials, such glassworks often operated at one site for only a few decades. The record and surviving farm name provide important evidence of early glassmaking in the Pielach Valley.