Gläserne Leidenschaft

Welcome to the Gläserne Leidenschaft (Glass Passion) virtual storefront — a celebration of joy, artistry, and the magic of Christmas.

I'm Dietbert Bätz, though many collectors know me simply as "Mr. D." My wife, Ivonne, and I make our home and art in Lauscha — a small village in Germany known around the world as the birthplace of mouth-blown glass Christmas ornaments. It's a joy and privilege to craft each ornament you see here — each one is a true labor of love and filled with heart.

So, how did our story begin? With a memory very dear to my heart! At the very early age of 5, sitting on my grandfather's lap, I watched as he masterfully created beautiful glass baubles. I was mesmerized and amazed that he could form such intricate and magnificent shapes from just an ordinary tube of glass.

These memories never left me, and after finishing school, I followed my heart into the world of glassblowing and turned my passion into my profession. I began my career as a glassblower of Christmas decorations and as an art glassblower producing artistic glass. After the reunification of Germany, I developed and manufactured many new glass ornament collections. At first with Krebs Glas, and later with Christborn, I was proud to lead the creation and production of the German-made ornaments for the Christopher Radko line from 1991 to 2007.

With life comes change, and in 2008, I launched my own independent company, Gläserne Leidenschaft. Both Ivonne and I worked for Christborn for a while, but lost track of each other after she left to pursue other interests. As fate would have it, our paths crossed again in 2013 when Ivonne was working as Sales Assistant at a local boutique. She began painting for me in 2017, and together we have built this company into one known for its exclusive, exquisitely crafted ornaments.

Our ornaments are all imagined, hand-blown, and hand-painted by just the two of us here in our studio. For this reason, we're only able to produce them in very small quantities. But we believe this is what makes them so special — each piece a treasure to be cherished. Our creativity knows no bounds, and we hope to continue to bring our ornaments into your home for many years to come.

We hope you love this new collection and that this year's ornaments will bring a smile to your face and some extra holiday magic to your home this Christmas. Thank you for your interest in our passion and for being part of our Gläserne family. Here's to an unforgettably beautiful Christmas tree for years to come.