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No. Superfest glasses were unusually durable, chemically strengthened drinking glasses made in East Germany, but “unbreakable” was a nickname, not a literal guarantee. Their story links practical design and resource conservation to a manufacturing process that resisted crack growth—and to a factory that stopped production in 1990.
What were Superfest glasses?
Superfest was a range of drinking glasses made in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The beer glasses came in three sizes; the range also included champagne, schnapps and cognac glasses. The Guardian dates development of the technology to the 1970s and credits the Department for Glass Structure Research at the Central Institute for Inorganic Chemistry near Dresden. State-owned VEB Sachsenglas Schwepnitz manufactured the glasses, with production reported from 1980 to 1990.
Their design was the work of Paul Bittner, Fritz Keuchel and Tilo Poitz. The Guardian identifies the earlier Wirteglas, designed by Margarete Jahny and Erich Müller, as an influence. The design was therefore not simply a technical demonstration: it was a family of purposeful drinking glasses made for everyday use.
How did Superfest glasses resist breaking?
The strengthening happened at the glass surface through ion exchange. The Guardian explains that smaller sodium ions were replaced by larger potassium ions. The larger ions compress the surface, making microscopic cracks more difficult to extend. The Berliner describes the glasses being heated to about 300 degrees and treated with potassium nitrate to prompt that exchange.
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This treatment made the glass more resistant to damage; it did not make it impossible to break. The Berliner explicitly rejects “unbreakable” as a literal description. A glass may withstand impacts or wear that would damage ordinary glassware and still fail under sufficiently severe stress.
How durable were they, according to published reports?
The available figures describe different claims, not one directly comparable test result. The Guardian reported in 2024 that the glasses were intended to last five times longer and were later described as ten times more durable. It did not specify the test method. The Berliner reported in 2025 that the glass was about 15 times harder than conventional glass, but did not state a standardized method. Hardness is not the same as service life or resistance to impact, so these multipliers should not be treated as interchangeable.
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The Berliner reported that more than 100 million glasses were produced between 1980 and 1990. That scale suggests a mass-produced everyday product, not a small experimental run.
Why make a more durable glass?
Longer-lasting glassware fit a resource-conservation rationale: if glasses broke less often, fewer replacements would be needed. That purpose is part of what makes Superfest notable as a design and manufacturing story. Its durability came from changing the surface properties of glass, rather than relying on a disposable substitute.
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That advantage also created a commercial tension. A product that needs replacement less often may be harder to sell repeatedly, but that observation alone does not establish why Superfest disappeared. The accounts offer interpretations, not proof of one decisive cause.
Why did production end?
VEB Sachsenglas stopped producing Superfest in 1990. The Berliner reports that the factory was later sold for scrap. The end of production coincided with the upheaval following German reunification, but the available reporting does not establish a single cause for the product’s commercial fate.
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Günter Höhne, former editor-in-chief of the GDR design journal Form und Zweck, offered one explanation: “It turned out that Superfest is not suited for the market,” he said. “The glasses are too good for pure market thinking.” That is Höhne’s interpretation, not a demonstrated account of every business or manufacturing decision involved. The Berliner also quotes former engineer Peter Sonntag recalling the phrase, “Things need to break in order to sell them.” The article presents this as Sonntag’s recollection of something he heard, not a verified official statement by a retailer.
Höhne also said the designers were little known: “Not a living soul had any idea who actually designed Superfest.” His comment helps explain why the glasses’ design lineage is less familiar than their “unbreakable” reputation, but it does not by itself explain the factory’s closure.
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Can you buy Superfest glasses today?
Original glasses are vintage secondhand objects rather than newly produced Superfest stock. The Berliner’s March 2025 article reported a small vintage glass at around €10; that was a dated anecdotal observation, not a current price guide. Availability and authenticity vary, so check the seller’s description, dimensions, condition and photographs before buying.
The Guardian reported in 2024 that a crowdfunding campaign raised €251,139 for a production facility drawing partly on the old technology. It also described Soulbottles exploring glass designed to combine durability with easier recyclability and prototypes dropped from two metres without breaking. Those were prototypes and a prospective future delivery as reported at the time; that account does not establish current availability or that a current product is a Superfest reissue or technically equivalent.
Quick Recap
Further reading
- The Guardian: “Smashing idea: how East Germany invented ‘unbreakable’ drinking glasses”
- The Berliner: “East Germany’s indestructible glass”
- Hackaday: “The ‘Unbreakable’ Beer Glasses Of East Germany”
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
