completely renovated, the Meisenthal glass site reopens its doors to the public

It’s the big day for the Meisenthal glass site (Moselle): this Sunday, May 1, it finally reopens all of its buildings to the public, after nearly four years of renovation work. If the shop and part of the glass workshop were already accessible this summer and during the Christmas season, the museum will welcome its first visitors after a complete renovation.

The rooms have been refreshed, “but also the collection and the museography”details the director of the museum, Caroline Rollins-Duchamp. “Visitors can see additional pieces. A new, very educational technical space also details the secrets of glassmaking”.

A bird’s eye view of the glass workshop

On three floors, the public discovers the history of glass making in Meisenthal and the surrounding area, the influence of Moselle glassware on glass art in the 19th and 20th centuries, but also its tormented history following the annexation of the Moselle by Germany in 1870. “It was important to highlight these pieces, and this know-how. Everyone has glass at home, and you can’t necessarily imagine all that is behind this material”recalls Caroline Rollins-Duchamp.

The visit to the museum is part of a global discovery tour of the glassmaking site of Meisenthal, which continues with the international center for glass art. The visitor passes through a gallery where contemporary glass artists are exhibited, then the glass-making workshop, where the glass artists offer demonstrations. Finally, the journey ends with the Halle verrière, the former heart of the factory transformed into a performance hall.

More visitors in 2022

This tour route has been redesigned with the help of two architectural firms, for better consistency of the site. “It was an archipelago of buildings that we had to reach one after the other, without any walkways or elevators”recalls Yann Grienenberger, director of the Meisenthal international center for glass art. “Today, we are on a walkway that takes us from one site to another, it’s fluid and airy”.

There’s a surprise behind every door, it’s simply magical

This total renovation of the site should attract more visitors, hopes Yann Grienenberger. “Before the Covid, we had 60,000 people a year who came to the shop, the museum or the art center. This year, we hope to welcome 90,000”. The Meisenthal glass site is open every day, except Monday, from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.