38# 
■ 
1 
M 
...i 
■ 
52» 
2 Unterreichenstein (Rejstejn); zeitgenössische Fotografie. - Contemporary photograph. - Photographie 
d’epoque. - Fotografia deli’epoca 
INTRODUCTION 
No publication can do full justice to the pro- 
duction of the firm of Joh. Lötz Witwe: the 
Problems are too complex, the surviving or 
available research material too incomplete. 
Though confined to the glassware contained 
in the Austrian museums, supplemenfed by 
giass from private collections, I nevertheless 
feel justified in dealing with this theme, and 
indeed this becomes a necessity, particulariy 
when one considers the documentation re- 
presented by personal testimony whose sur- 
vival is limited. 
BIOGRAPHICAL ASPECTS 
Documents in the possession of the des- 
cendants of Max Ritter von Spaun - referred 
to as “Giass Max” in Order to differentiate 
between the two other men of the same 
name - provide important Information over 
and above the results of previous biographi- 
cal research (Stiess 1951). 
Susanna, the widow of Johann Lötz, was 
born on 23rd December 1809 in Kuttenplan 
(Bohemia). Her mother was Franziska 
Husska (“legitimate daughter of Johann 
Georg Husska, master stove fitter, of Kutten 
plan, and Theresia Trischler of Kuttenplan 
no. 27”, according to the birth and baptism 
certificate issued in 1938 by the parish of 
Kuttenplan), the name of her father is not 
given. She received her first name from her 
godmother Susanna Höfner at her baptism 
on the day of her birth, and as an illegitimste 
child her surname was that of her mother. 
Susanna Husska’s first husband was Johann 
Lötz. A handbell with her monogram has sur- 
vived from this period (Fig. 5), and a needle- 
case was probably also used by her at the 
time. We have no absolutely reliable portrait 
of Susanna Lötz, although two miniatures - 
the portrait of a girl (Fig. 10) and the head of 
an old woman (Fig. 11) - may be connected 
with her. We cannot even begin to guess 
what Johann Lötz looked like. Susanna Lötz 
entered a second marriage with Dr. Franz 
Gerstner, and died a widow on 25th Novem 
ber 1887 in St. Pölten, where she was laid to 
rest. 
Johann and Susanna Lötz had tour children: 
Johann, Karoiine, Anton and Ernst. Of the 
sons, it is said that they were unable to take 
over the Company in Klostermühle, the one 
dying young, the other disappointing his 
mother, and the third becoming a notary 
13