Rudolfova Hut’, Dubi bei Teplice.

Rudolfova Hut’ occupied the site of a former steel-fabrication works, built in the first years of the 20^th century. The company went bankrupt, and Josef Inwald, bought the factory, in order to expand its manufacturing capacity. With the introduction of press moulding technology at the plant shortly after the First World War, Josef Inwald rapidly became a significant producer of pressed products, whose designs, including Rudolf Schrotter’s “Lord” (better known as “Jacobean”) 1922, helped secure Inwald’s position.

Having spent the first forty years of its existence as a privately-owned satellite factory of Josef Inwald, Rudolfova Hut’ was to become a part of a nationalised industry for the next forty-five years. When nationalisation edicts were issued by the Beneš government in 1945, Rudolfova Hut’ remained a part of Sklarny Inwald narodni podnik (national corporation). In 1958, these factories, (all originally Inwald units) were split up during a re-organisation of Czechoslovakian glass production, by the Ministry of Light Industry, and Sklarny Inwald n.p. ceased to exist. This re-organisation brought together Rudolfova Hut’, Heřmanova Hut’ Nemšova, and the pressed glass plant at Libochovice, as the fore-runner of Sklo Union, VHJ Obalováne a lisováne sklo.

A further re-organisation took place in 1965, and Rudolfova Hut’ became part of Sklo Union, with administration based in Teplice. This placing of all sodium potash pressed glass production within one nationalised group, gave rise to a somewhat more focussed organisation. The former S. Reich plant, at Rosice, was brought into the group, the pressed glass facility of Nemšova being merged with Rosice, with all Nemšova moulds moving to the Rosice factory. These four major pressed glass works, remained within Sklo Union Teplice’s control, until 1990, with a minor re-structuring in 1978.

Note: Not all plants under Sklo Union Teplice made pressed glass. A float glass plant built in 1968 at Retenice, and a plant making sintered glass blocks, for the construction industry, at Duchov (now known as Vitrablok), were also constituent parts of Sklo Union.

Referencs:

Text © Marcus Newhall 2006.

Images © Marcus Newhall 2006, except where acknowledged in the text.

Article copyright and intellectual property rights, will be vigorously defended by the author, Marcus Newhall.