History

Glasbruket has experienced many different periods during the course of time. This is another new beginning. 

When you stay at Glasbruket in Vexala, Nykarleby, you are visiting an area with a rich and interesting history. The ancestry of this region dates back to the 19th century and has gone through a lot of changes throughout history. It all started with a man named Johan Petter Ehnqvist who, in 1841, moves to the location that later will be called Glasbruket. Glasbruk means glassworks in Swedish.

Why a glasswork?

Ehnqvist had heard that glassworks were very successful, and the area, which during this time was called Mariedal, had all the components necessary for making glass: good sand, fuel and a working harbor. Before long, construction was underway and several houses were built. In the beginning of 1847 Ehnqvist sent a request to the Russian Senate to establish a glass and faience works. In October 1848, the work was in full swing in the glassworks, now called Sandnäs.

Products

The main product that would keep the glassworks running was window glass. Finnish cities were plagued by fires and required large amounts of window glass. Another important product was glass flasks.Nykarleby had a great demand for glass flasks in the 19th century because of the pharmacy and the two breweries located in town. A formwork of such flasks has been preserved and is displayed at the museum of Munsala.

Summercamp

After the wars, the lack of food and other everyday commodities prompted the bigger cities to look for a place where they could arrange activities for the youth. The city secretary of Vasa came to Vexala to discuss a purchase of land for establishing a summer camp. There was a big demand for this kind of work in post-war Vasa. The establishment was opened during 1951, with the goal to give children an opportunity to spend a couple of weeks in a wholesome environment with an adequate food supply.

Later years

With the improvement of the economy the lack of food diminished, and the need for a summer camp lessened. The last summer camp was held at Sandnäs in 2001, after which the house was left empty and in need of restoration. This, however, was deemed too costly and in 2005 the land was sold to a company from Nykarleby.