Csiffáry Gergely: Magyarország üvegipara 1920-ig - Studia Agriensia 25. (Eger, 2006)
Függelék - Glass industry in Hungary until 1920
the Hungarian conquerors of the 9th century. Also glass memories of frequent and specific occurrence are concerned that presume local production where no written documents have been found to verity this. Glass products arriving from Byzantium, Syria, Venice and Ragusa are also mentioned. The chapter The history of glassmaking in Hungary between the XII.-XVI, century discusses the 30 glassmaking plants whose existence is proven by archeological findings and written documents. After that three chapters of culture history are linked to the section dealing with medieval glassmaking. First the relationship of glass makers, glass guilds and glass products is discussed. The Hungarian gold and silver mining had European importance and it was the basis for minting. In the chapter Glassmakers, mints, goldsmiths, and precious metal processing ,the glass and man power demand of this minting activity is discussed. The chapter Structural changes in the glass industry in the XVII. century, deals with the glassmaking of Hungary which is proven to be continuos since the Middle Ages, also with the regional plants of glassmaking (Transylvania, Upper-Hungary, Transdanubia) as well as with the origin of the terms for their denomination: glassworks, glass house, glass mine, glass bam. The XVIII. century was The golden age of glassmaking when the demand for glass products of public need (window and bellied glasses) increased. At the time the landlords also became interested in the foundation of glass works because the use the forest clearings in the surroundings of the glass works had economic importance. In the chapter The glass works of the XIX. century on the way of becoming manufacturing industry, the effect of money depreciation (due to the twenty- five years of the French wars) on the increase of commodity production is analyzed. Also the development of the glass works becoming more and more differentiated in size and the effect of bathing and mineral water consumption— as a result of the changing way of life— on the glass industry is dealt with. This latter greatly helped the factories obtain solid large-scale orders. The role of the XVIII-XIX century glass works in Hungary s industrial development is put a in new light as a result of our researches. Namely Hungary’s glass works becoming manufacturing industry show the type of western European development where there was a straight line between manufactures and the foundation of manufacturing industry. From the turning of the century until the end of the first world war this branch of industry developed in a paradox way. This means that the majority 372
