Brockwitz Glassworks
Brockwitz was founded in Germany in 1903. The largest amount of high quality pressed glass items were produced at their Ottendorf factory from 1915 – 1929. They produced many table items including bowls, compotes, pitchers, and tumblers, as well as lamp shades.
Brockwitz exported a significant portion of its wares to England, South America, and Australia. Most Brockwitz glass, however, was sold in Germany. During the war in Germany much of the company's history and glass production were lost.
Glass production appears to have peaked during 1941 when Brockwitz issued a major catalogue of glassware but then stopped entirely during World War II. After the war ended, Brockwitz was nationalized by the German government. It continued operating up to 1990 although the pieces produced after 1941 are not well documented and much of the production shifted into simple clear as opposed to elaborately designed colored glassware. Much of the Brockwitz glass in Germany is thought to have been destroyed in WW I and WW II.
c. 1915
c. 1935
In their early years Brockwitz had a trademark design of three flowers on stems with the letters GAB, which stands for Glasfabrik Aktiengesellschaft Brockwitz. The trademark was embossed into some, but not all, of their glassware.
Twenty years later the Brockwitz trademark featured crossed swords and the letter "B." In addition some of their glassware was embossed with the word "Deutschland."
There are three catalogs showing several designs of candle lamps. The catalogs are dated 1926, 1936, and 1941. The candle lamps were called "Nachtlampe" which translates for German to English as "Night Light."
This is Brockwitz model number 310. It is illustrated in the 1926 and 1941 catalogs. It was advertized as being available in clear, colored, and ruby.
The clear was only slightly less expensive than the colored, but the Ruby was twice as expensive.
The shade is ribbed and rests on a corrugated rim of a matching lamp cup with a broad flared rim.
This is Brockwitz model number 311. It is illustrated in the 1926, 1936, and 1941 catalogs. It was also advertized as being available in clear, colored, and ruby.
The shade is molded to resemble flames and rests on a corrugated rim of a matching lamp cup very similar to the lamp cup shown in model 310.
It is interesting to note that models 310 and 311 use the same lamp cup.
This is Brockwitz model number 312. It is illustrated in the 1926 and 1941 catalogs.
At first glance, you might think this lamp is R-29, identified as a product Vallerystahl (French) in 2001. This lamp, however, is very different.
This model was advertized as being available in clear, colored, and ruby. It was produced at the same time as model 310 and slightly more expensive than the other Brockwitz models.
This is Brockwitz model number 1059. It is only illustrated in the 1926 catalog. It was labeled "Lampe, ohne Schirm" which translates to "Lamp, without shade." It is 28.5 centimeters high or 11.2 inches.
It is not clear if the candle stand is offered without the fabric shade or the glass shade that is barely visible under the fabric shade.
We have seen candle stands similar to this many times before. They come in various sizes and designs. This design, however, is not documented.
This is Brockwitz model number 316. It is illustrated in the 1936, and 1941 catalogs. It was advertized as being available in clear, colored, and ruby.
This bell-shaped lamp with religious connections appears not to use a lamp cup. The bottom rim is notched to allow air to enter. Apparently, it simply sits around a squatty candle.
Of all the lamps illustrated in the Brockwitz catalogs, this is the only one with dimensions. It is documented as being 11.5 centimeters high or 4.5 inches.
The embossed "X" and "P" is one of the earliest Christian symbols. It consists of the first two letters of the word "Christ" in the Greek word "Χριστός."
This is Brockwitz model number 317. It is illustrated in the 1936 and 1941 catalogs. It was advertized as being available in clear, colored, and ruby.
The multi-faceted cone shaped shade with a scalloped lower rim rests on the smooth shoulder of a matching lamp cup. I suspect the lamp is pressed glass and not cut glass. There are no known examples of this lamp.
Brockwitz model number 318. It was illustrated in the 1941 catalog.
This comparison illustrates the differences between the Brockwitz model 312 (left) and the similar lamp produced by Vallerysthal (center and right). The differences seem to be pretty obvious so there is no need to point them out here. To the best of my know-ledge, the Brockwitz model 312 has not been discovered.
Like the others, this model was advertised as being available in clear, colored, and ruby. It was produced at the same time as model 310 and slightly more expensive than the other Brockwitz models.
