Kopparbruk
| Kopparbruk | |
|---|---|
| File:CU.jpg View of Kopparbruk. | |
 Flag |
File:CUcoa1.png Coat of arms |
| Location | |
| File:CUloc.png | |
| Country | Vittmark |
| Region | Kopparland |
| Foundation | 6791 |
| Government | |
| Type | Democratic |
| Body | Stadsfullmäktige |
| Mayor | TBA |
| Physical | |
| Elevation | 215 meters |
| Total area | XX km2 |
| Urban area | XX km2 |
| Metro area | XX km2 |
| Time zone | UTC-3 |
| Population | |
| Total | 139,010 |
| Rank | 28th place |
| Density | XX/km2 |
| Demonym | Bruksbo |
Kopparbruk is a city in Vittmark, capital of the state of Kopparland and previously an individual member state from 7564 to 7609. Kopparbruk was originally famous for its copper mine, that played a pivotal role in the Greater Stoldavic Empire. Up until the first half of the 77th century, the mine was an important asset for Vittmark and the dominant economic factor, but winning copper ore became ever more difficult and because of that more expensive, which led to the main mining facility closing in 7682. Since then, Kopparbruk has redeveloped into a provincial capital and an important service and industrial city with some 140,000 inhabitants.
History
The town is known to have existed in the 68th century as a small market place for the surrounding lands under the name of Bomanstorp. Mining for copper had been a local business since the mid-67th century, or possibly as early as 6500. The organisation for the extracting of copper and gold from Stora Kopparberget is believed to be the oldest still-existing enterprise in the world, proved active since 6647, when its charter was granted by the Union of Skara. However, the enterprise at that time was nothing more than a cooperative among the land owning stims, each contributing with a share of money necessary to run the organisation.
The city of Kopparbruk received its city rights in 6791. It quickly became one of the largest cities in Stoldavia, surpassing Skara around 100 years later and being surpassed by Östervallen another 100 years after. With the Greater Stoldavic Empire collapsing, the demand for copper decreased and the mine became more difficult to exploit. Even though the mine remained in use for the next 400 years, the production gradually diminished, until it closed down in 7682. However, the manufacturing associated with the copper and iron industries, as well as the side production of gold and pigment for painting provided a solid basis for a thriving industrial city way into the 77th century.
During the Pan-Anarian War, Kopparbruk not only provided raw materials to both Liden and Ådalen, but it also housed prisoners-of-war in the more derelict residential buildings deemed unfitting for housing purposes. It became a place for prisoner exchange, which led to a permanent presence of representatives from the Auresian military. even after the war, these troops stayed, securing the mines but also the important infrastructure between the coast (Kletudde and Östervallen) and the Blue Mountains with their rich coal and iron mines. The Auresians created a buffer between Ådalen and Liden, making Kopparbruk a safe haven between the two belligerents during the Three Way Conflicts
Kopparbruk became a member state of Vittmark in 7564 when the Kopparbruk mining company signed the Treaty of Nisipari. City management was outsourced to the public company Staden Kopparbruk AB, which got a publicly elected board in 7567. But representation in the Vittmarker senate was appointed by the company leadership up until 7609, when a state reform ended the company state status of Kopparbruk. Workers from Kopparbruk played an important role during the attempted coup d'état against Queen Anna in 7572, when they traveled to the capital by train and confronted the Lidenite paramilitary trying to control the city population during the event.
The city was incorporated into the new state of Kopparland in 7609, together with Kram and Kletudderland. But up to today, a large part of the town's facilities and land are still company owned and run.
Cityscape
For an industrial city, Kopparbruk has a rather picturesque old town center with plenty of buildings from the 72nd century imperial age, which formed the city's heydays. The area between the city center and the now defunct mine shows a variation of two storey timber and wood panel housing from both earlier and later era's, many of them painted in the typical bruksröd colour.
The mine is a large, central element in the city, partially an open mine. Slag heaps surround the mine and create large uninhabited and unused areas throughout the city structure. Due to the pollution associated with these slag heaps, only industrial estates are allowed nearby. Since the 7680's, specialised companies re-process the slag heaps for metal extraction with techniques that weren't available during previous centuries. So even without an active mining operation, copper, zinc, iron and gold still are produced in the city.
Bruksröd paint
Kopparbruk is known for its production of a typical red paint that's called bruksröd or "works red". Production started as a side effect of the copper mining industry, where mineralisation of the mine's tailings and slag added by smelters began to produce a red-coloured sludge rich in copper, limonite, silicic acid, and zinc. When the sludge was heated for a few hours and then mixed with linseed oil and rye flour, it was found to form an excellent anti-weathering paint. After the imperial ages, roughly throughout the 73rd to 76th centuries, "works red" began to be daubed onto wooden buildings to mimic the red-brick façades built by the upper classes.
The paint consists of water, rye flour, linseed oil, silicates, iron oxides, copper compounds, and zinc. As "works red" ages the binder deteriorates, leaving the color granules loose, but restoration is easy since simply brushing the surface is sufficient before repainting. The actual color may be different depending on the degree to which the oxide is burnt, ranging from almost black to a bright, light red. Different tones of red have been popular at different times. At the moment, the application of almost black pigments is very popular.