About Orrefors

Orrefors - Through the deep forest

The road to Orrefors winds through deep forests of spruce that open suddenly on darkly glistening lakes, and meadows and farmhouses set behind stonewalls. Here are the elements that gave rise to glassblowing, and which are reflected today in the finished glass; the ripples across the water, the sunbeams that penetrate the tall, dense stands of spruce, and the crystal-clear air. It is hardly surprising that the glass created here is beloved all over the world. The Swedish glass industry was born about 250 years ago, not far from Orrefors - only about 20 kilometers as the crow flies. In the summer of 1742 the first glassworks, warehouse, potash furnace and smithy were inaugurated in which is now the small village of Kosta.

Handblown glass has thus been produced in this part of Sweden for more than two and a half centuries. The story of Orrefors begins with Iron and the forest. As early as 1726, Lars Johan Silversparre received permission to build a furnace and a smithy at "the beautiful river that flows into Lake Orrenas". The iron works was given the name Orrefors, which means "the Orre waterfall".

Production of iron became less and less profitable toward the end of the19th Century. At the same time, forestry became increasingly important, and a glassworks was built in 1898 to utilize spilled timber and labor resources. The basic idea was simple. The glassworks would make sure of the most valuable natural resources in the area - the forest.