Six European countries, including the Czech Republic, are striving to register hand-made glass production on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. The initiator of the registration was France, which is the leader. Apart from the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Finland and Spain also joined, Milada Valečková, director of the Museum of Glass and Bijoux in Jablonec nad Nisou, told ČTK, which as a specialized organization participates in the preparation of documents for the application.
"France, as a leader, approached the Ministry of Culture, which turned to us, and together we first prepared the entry into the national list of intangible cultural heritage," added Valečková. According to her, the entry on the national list was complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, the commission could not meet in June, but will meet only in September. Valečková assumes that nothing should prevent the registration, because there were almost no comments even on the prepared materials. "Inscription in the national list is a prerequisite for applying for inclusion in the UNESCO list," she added.
Last year, the Czech Republic managed to add the traditional Krkonoše production of Christmas ornaments from blown glass beads to the UNESCO list, which was preserved at the Rautis company in Poniklá in the Semila region. Now, according to Valečková, the scope should be considerably wider, from sand and the production of glass raw materials to practically all manual processing techniques, such as grinding, painting, coiled pearls, the production of tubes, jewelry sticks and the like. "The nomination should be submitted in February next year, and the evaluation process will take about a year," added the director of the glass museum.
For example, according to Valečková, the Germans tried to promote only the traditional production of blown glass, but in the end the definition is much broader. The Czech Republic is specific from the point of view of glass production. "We are exceptional in that all techniques are still represented here, they always have a segment in other countries," she added. From August 12 to 15, visitors to the Křehká krása exhibition of glass and jewelery will be able to familiarize themselves with the individual techniques proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO list, and not only on the panels, but with some techniques they will see artisans working "live" in the area of the Jablonec exhibition center.
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