Stolberg (Rhineland)

Stolberg
Main railway station
Coat of arms
Stolberg
Location of Stolberg within Aachen district
Coordinates: 50°46′N 6°14′E / 50.767°N 6.233°E / 50.767; 6.233Coordinates: 50°46′N 6°14′E / 50.767°N 6.233°E / 50.767; 6.233
Country	Germany
State	North Rhine-Westphalia
Admin. region	Köln
District	Aachen
Government
• Mayor	Tim Grüttemeier (CDU)
Area
• Total	98.52 km2 (38.04 sq mi)
Elevation	260 m (850 ft)
Population (2015-12-31)
• Total	56,739
• Density	580/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Postal codes	52222, 52223, 52224
Dialling codes	02402, 02408 (Venwegen), 02409 (Gressenich/ Werth/ Schevenhütte)
Vehicle registration	AC
Website	www.stolberg.de

Stolberg (German pronunciation: [ˈʃtɔlbɛʁk]) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has a long history as an industrial town and belongs to the district Aachen and the lower district court of Eschweiler.

Stolberg is located approximately 5 km east of Aachen in a valley at the fringes of the Eifel which begins in the East with the Hürtgenwald and in the South in the municipality of Monschau. It borders Eschweiler in the north and the Aachen city district of Eilendorf in the west.

The core of Stolberg is commonly divided into Unterstolberg (Lower Stolberg) and Oberstolberg (Upper Stolberg) which includes most of the old parts of Stolberg. Other parts of Stolberg are Atsch, Büsbach, Donnerberg, Münsterbusch. In addition the villages of Breinig, Dorff, Gressenich, Mausbach, Schevenhütte, Venwegen, Vicht, Werth, and Zweifall have been incorporated into Stolberg.

Stolberg is first mentioned in documents from the 12th century. It became an important centre of brass production when Protestant brass producers resettled to Stolberg from Aachen around 1600 to escape religious persecution and economic restrictions. The nickname of Stolberg, Die Kupferstadt (the Copper City), thus derives not from copper but from brass, "yellow copper". The Kupferhöfe (copper yards) where brass was originally produced and the brass manufacturers built their mansions remain as reminders of the brass manufacturers that dominated Stolberg and its economy.

Stolberg lost its importance as a brass producer when pure zinc became available in the middle of the 19th century. Many brass producers moved into other industries, especially the glass and textile industries, or specialized in the mass production of haberdashery.