An article about how in the GDR a state-owned firm developed a damn-near unbreakable glass. Of course as with most other industries in the GDR, the plant got bought out by western interests and stripped for parts. We’re told it’s because “socialism is inefficient” but this is a good example of how that’s bullshit - the commies made something of such high quality it was deemed “unmarketable” because retailers wouldn’t have more repeat purchases of people who broke their glasses. Not even because they were too expensive! As the article states these glasses were ubiquitous across the GDR.
The article is mostly free a brainworms except one odd digression where the author states that no one knew who the glass designers were because in the GDR they valued the collective over the contributions of the individual. Hey, without Googling, can you tell me who came up with idea for Yeti mugs? Or the Stanley cups? Just a weird point to make, like in any society people have any clue who is designing fucking drinkware.
i’m p sure germany had “unbreakable” glasses before/during the war too, cos my great grandma was given one (by allied soldiers who presumably looted it from a germany factory, but idk) when she was liberated from the camps, and brought it home through war torn central europe. eventually, my mother inherited it and i drank from it through my entire childhood. i even dropped it on a tile floor once or twice. it just bounced.
my mother still has it, it’s still as good as it ever was.
it doesnt look like the ones in this article, so there must have been multiple manufacturers of durable glassware. or so i assume.