HISTORY

WHY THE NAME OF REICH’S VILLA?

The Jewish Reich family built one of the largest glass industry empires in Austria-Hungary in the late 19th century in Vsetín region.

It all began in 1814 when Isaak Reich rented the Stará Hut Glassworks at Buchlovice, where he lived and worked his whole life. His wife and two sons, Samuel and Salomon, founded later the Samuel Rreich Company and rented Frantiscina Hut‘ in Velké Karlovice.

In Vsetin area they were so successful, that in 1855 they started to operate a new glass factory in Krásno nad Bečvou in Valašské Meziříčí. Their company soon employed almost a hundred workers. At this time in 1859 Salomon Reich let to built a house for his employees in Krásno nad Bečvou. The house served for its purpose for many years, then it was bought by the town of Valašské Meziříčí.

City councilors built up there apartments for rent in it. In 1991 the same house was purchased by Diamant Unipool, Inc. with the intention of repairing these apartements. With a gradual and extensive reconstruction, which lasted for several years, the original intention changed and instead of the flats for renting, there was originated a villa pension.

In honor of Salomon Reich, who built the house and wrote the history of our town thanks to the glass industry, the guest house was named after him.

And what happened with the glassworks later on?

All Wallachien glassworks prospered until the First World War. The company of Salomon Reich was transformedinto a join-stock company of Českomoravské sklárny in 1934. The tragedy for the Reichs Jewish family brought the Second World War, during which most of members did not escape the Holocaust.

The plants in Krásno and Vsetín fell to Krásenské sklárny, later renamed Lares. After 1989, they were both privatized, but none of them are working today. The glassworks in Karolinka was part of the Moravian Glassworks and in 1988 became a part of Crystalex Nový Bor. This company has reported bankruptcy now but still fighting for its survival.

Robert Šimek. . Mladá fronta. [online]. 13.1.2009 [cit. 2015-01-29]. Dostupné z: http://euro.e15.cz/profit/my-jsme-valasisklarska-rodina-892532