In 1894, Józef Schreiber founded the Ząbkowicka Glass Factory in Ząbkowice (a district of Dąbrowa Górnicza since 1977).
The glassworks, transformed in 1896 into a joint stock company under the name of Towarzystwo Akcyjne Ząbkowickiej Fabryki Szkła w Ząbkowicach, produced exclusively blown glass products. From 1902, the factory’s products were glassware and pressed glass.
Due to the crisis in 1935 the glassworks stopped production. It was reopened during World War II and its products were intended exclusively for military purposes. After the end of the war, the glassworks remained under the Temporary State Board; in 1959 it was transformed into a state enterprise operating under the name Ząbkowicka Huta Szkła Gospodarczego – Przedsiębiorstwo Państwowe Wyodrębnione, subordinate to the Central Board of the Glass and Ceramic Industry. In 1960, the name was changed to “Ząbkowice” Household Glassworks.
Systematic development of the glassworks and growing sales of Ząbkowice glass resulted in other glassworks joining the company: “Siemianowice” Glassworks (thermos flask liners were produced there), 1973; “Skawina” Glassworks (producer of packaging glass), 1974; “Staszic” Glassworks (wine demijohn maker), 1979.
The “Ząbkowice” Household Glassworks developed dynamically as a multi-site enterprise until the 1990s. The political changes and privatisation led to a decline in sales and the resulting growing indebtedness of the company led to its closure.
In 2002, based on HSG’s property, the “Ząbkowice” Artistic Glassworks S.A. was established, but was put into liquidation in 2004. The Cristallite Huta Szkła Sp. z o.o., established in its place (production of flat glass and blown and extruded glass), was closed in 2006 (bankruptcy proceedings completed in 2010).
Until 1960, “Ząbkowice” HSG did not have its own showroom. This changed with the employment of Jan Sylwester Drost as a designer, 1960; Bogdan Kupczyk, 1961; Eryka Trzewik-Drost, 1966; and Ludwik Fiedorowicz, 1975.
Other designers at “Ząbkowice” HSG were: Agnieszka Borowska, Tomasz Góra, Sebastian Pietkiewicz, Wszewłod Sarnecki, Ryszard Serwicki, Izabela Szkleniarz, Wanda Zawidzka-Manteuffel
