Stora Kopparberg Mining Company

The Stora Kopparberg Mining Company was a Swedish enterprise, likely the world's oldest industrial corporation, chartered in 1347. It was headquartered in Falun, a town that developed around an old copper mine dating back to the late 13th century. This region, known as Bergslagen, is a major ore-producing area in central Sweden.12

During the Middle Ages, iron was mined extensively in Bergslagen and smelted with charcoal. The Stora Kopparberg company's operations, particularly in copper mining, contributed significantly to Sweden's national income in the 17th century. While iron was the primary ore in Bergslagen, copper, silver, lead, and zinc were also sourced from the region. The copper mine in Falun closed in the early 1990s.21