The Květná Glassworks is one of the longest-running glassworks in our country. It was built in 1794 and founded by Prince Alois I of Liechtenstein. The location for its construction was carefully chosen in the heart of beech forests near Uherský Ostroh, right on the border with Slovakia. Here, in the cadastral area of the village Strání, at the site of high-quality glass sand, the glassworks, equipped with two melting furnaces, offered jobs to people from the surrounding area as well as from other locations of Liechtenstein estates, Slovakia, and Austria.

Initially, the glassworks focused mainly on the production of sheet and various types of utility glassware. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that it began producing higher quality and more exclusive types of glass when Austrian entrepreneur Josef Zahn became the owner. His son, Emanuel Zahn, added another glass furnace and introduced the production of fine crystal glass decorated with cutting and engraving.

It was Emanuel Zahn who brought in skilled glassmakers, who introduced new techniques and methods of glass processing. This led not only to a rapid improvement in product quality and overall modernization but also to an expansion of the product range, influenced by artistic impulses from Viennese art circles. In this context, the name of the glassworks was changed in 1894, adopting the local name Květná (Blumenbach). This name soon became a mark of quality and was sought after in world markets.

The company Zahn & Göpfert established showrooms and distribution warehouses in London, Paris, Berlin, and Hamburg, and exhibited at world fairs. As the second glassworks in Europe, Květná introduced etching decoration as early as 1897. At that time, the variously decorated glassware was exported not only to Europe but also to the USA, Africa, and Australia.

The glassworks maintained production during the first half of the 20th century. After nationalization, it continued to operate, and between 1961 and 1990, it became one of the branches of the state-owned enterprise Moravian Glassworks in Květná. During this time, the workforce consisted mainly of Czech and Slovak glassmakers. After 1989, there were several changes in ownership, and between 2011 and 2018, the glassworks belonged to Crystalite Bohemia, a company founded in 2009 by businessman Lubor Cerva, who purchased and restarted the glassworks with automatic production in Světlá nad Sázavou. In 2011, he also acquired the Květná glassworks, which for several years synergistically complemented the automatic production at the Světlá facility. Alongside its own handmade production, Květná also focused on decorating products from the automatic production lines of the Světlá glassworks.

After selling the glassworks in Světlá nad Sázavou, Lubor Cerva decided to fully focus on handmade production of Czech crystal at the highest possible quality. In 2020, a new company, Cerva Bohemia, was established, followed by KVĚTNÁ 1794.

At the end of 2023, the glassworks faced the long-term impact of the sharp rise in energy prices, and even the closure of operations was considered. This did not happen, and the new majority owner became a purely Czech family holding company, AF Group from Hodonín and MHS & Partners, allowing the glassworks to successfully continue in the production of handmade glass.