Szirácsik Éva (szerk.): Uradalmak kora - Discussiones Neogradienses 10. (Salgótarján, 2010)
Ján Zilák: Üveggyárak a véglesi uradalomban a XVIII, század végéig
DISCUSSIONES NEOGRADIENSES 10. - URADALMAK KORA Class Manufactures in the Viglas Estate until the End of the 18th Century By Ján Zilák On the territory of the one time Zvolen County in the past a number of glass manufactures made products. From among them the Viglas estate manufactures represent a separate chapter, which have worked on the area for more than 200 years. The oldest among them is the glasshouse which was marked on the cadastre map of today’s Viglas Huta. Its history can be traced from the end of the 17th century. During its operation several generations of the Michna-kinship can be identified leasing it practically until closing down caused by lack of firewood. Parallelly with it, in 1761 on the area of the estate a glass manufacture began operation in the forest of Detva built by the glassmaker Bernard Hupka from Moravia producing hollow and sheet glassware. Nowadays the reminders of the past of glass production are only place names known only to few people their connection with the eternal beauty of clear and colour glass. At the beginning of the 19th century in Hrinova a new chapter in the history of glassmaking started. The newly built glassworks after initial difficulties became leased by the Perger family, who during the 40 years of lease operated it at a high standard. In Slanec they provided the establishing of a branch in 1824, which is known in literature as Skalisko Glassworks.While the Hrinova glass manufacture took part in the production of hollow and sheet glass products, the Slanec plant specialized in sheet glass making in later years. Via the central storehouse in Pest the products were transported outside the borders of Hungary like Turkey, Serbia and of course to Austria, Eisenstadt where the Eszterházy estate centre was. The production of the glass manufactures here brought profits thanks to rich and good quality quartz, water power and cheap firewood. To provide the needs of the glass manufacture and the steam sawmill, the owners of the Viglas estate coined their own money which besides glass were further reasons for the existence of local glass manufactures. The Skalisko sheet glass factory closed down in 1890. The bigger and more modern Hrinova factory stopped production in the beginning of 1914. The intention to restart production was not successful during World War 1 and the following period. 171
