500 lights for the Emperor: A tragedy that changed the history of light. The factory where it began

The story of a moment when the tragic fire at Vienna’s Ringtheater accelerated the advent of electric light, bringing traditional glassmaking craftsmanship into contact with one of the greatest technological revolutions of its time. At Elias Palme’s factory in Kamenický Šenov, some of the world’s first electrified crystal chandeliers were created, illuminating Vienna’s Imperial Palace in 1883 with more than 500 Edison light bulbs. The factory that once stood at the dawn of a new era of light still exists today. Now, Eliáška is coming back to life, and its story is beginning a new chapter.