In the early 1570s, Leonard Schleicher from Aachen was the first copper master to recognise the advantages of the Stolberg valley as a location for the brass trade (including water power and nearby ore and coal deposits) and moved his business from Aachen to Stolberg.
Thus, in 1575, the first Stolberg copper yard was built on today's Burgstraße, later to become the Adler Apotheke. In accordance with the necessities of the time, this courtyard was initially designed as a fortified complex, largely dispensing with representative building forms. After relocating to the unfortified and sparsely populated area of Stolberg, people were largely responsible for defending their own possessions and lives. It was not until the 18th century that the copper masters created considerably more representative facilities. The present appearance of the Kupferhof Adler Apotheke only resulted from later alterations and is hardly reminiscent of an outwardly uninviting fortress building.
In 1790, one of a later total of 7 rural pharmacies of the Aachen district was established in this Kupferhof. This pharmacy existed until 1971 and was thus in operation without interruption for almost 200 years. Today, the building is used as a residential house, but a gilded eagle still adorns the façade as the heraldic animal of the former Adler Apotheke.
Discover this and many other copper courtyards on a stroll through Stolberg while enjoying the flair of the old town and the charm of the Gründerzeit. Our flyer "Kupferstadt & Kupferhöfe" will show you the way!