Lobmeyr: A Sixth Generation Family Business

07 December 2021

Lobmeyr is in its sixth generation as a family business today.

A love of the material, the emotional relationship with the product and the commitment of personal energy defined the Lobmeyr brand since its inception .

In 1823, Josef Lobmeyr Senior founded Lobmeyr in Vienna’s Weihburggasse and soon became Purveyor to the Imperial Court. Between 1855 – 1917 Josef and Ludwig Lobmeyr operated the company. Ludwig became the pioneer of Austrian/Bohemian crystal production and presented the company at the first World Fairs. Ludwig’s nephew Stefan Rath senior (1902–1960) lead Lobmeyr into the Modern Movement. Enduring classics are created in cooperation with Josef Hoffmann and the other artists of the Wiener Werkstätte. Hans Harald Rath (1938–1968) rebuilt the Austrian crystal manufacture after the war and revolutionised the chandelier.

Harald, Peter and Stefan Rath (1968–2008) expanded the company and entered the Arabic and Japanese markets and opened a store in Salzburg. From 2000, Andreas, Leonid and Johannes Rath grow the international sales activities and focus on collaborations with a new generation of designers.

Lobmeyr always collaborates with outstanding designers. Whether it be the architects of Vienna’s Ringstraße in the 19th century, the pioneers of the Modern Movement or contemporary artists – the list of designer’s mirrors not only the diversity, but also the quality of their work with crystal.



The Lobmeyr glass creators traditionally come from a wide range of backgrounds; they are painters, architects, or designers. Artists who take the special nature of the material into account are important to the company. The designers, on the other hand, appreciate the opportunity of applying their ideas regardless of market restrictions and equipped with all the possibilities and varieties of the craft.



Glass is a complex material, and necessitates the ability to understand and comprehend it, which often results in longer-term processes. Lobmeyr appreciate designers with an understanding of the current culture while at the same time possessing a perception for enduring design. Lobmeyr aim for sustainable design with an everlasting beauty. The glass should be both: ingenious and at the same time a well-loved long-term companion.

 

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