glasfabrikant

Glasfabrikant is a term used in Dutch-language sources to refer to a glass manufacturer—the operator or owner of a glass factory. In German-language contexts the term Glasfabrikant is rarer and often replaced by Glashersteller.

Historically, glassmaking is a long-standing craft, with early centers in Venice, Bohemia, and the Rhine region; by the 18th and 19th centuries, industrial glass factories emerged, enabling mass production of bottles, windows, and optical glass.

A glasfabrikant oversees operations such as batch preparation, melting in silica furnaces, forming by blowing, pressing, or casting, annealing in lehrs, and finishing processes.

Modern glass manufacturers may specialize in container glass, flat glass, fiber glass, or specialty products; many use cullet (recycled glass) to improve efficiency.

In economic history, glasfabrikant is associated with the industrialization of glass production, labor practices, and regional development.

See also: Glass manufacture, Glass factory, Glass industry.