Calamine brass Calamine brass Calamine brass is brass produced by a particular alloying technique using the zinc ore calamine directly, rather than first refining it to metallic zinc. Direct zinc smelting appears to have been unknown in Europe until the mid-18th century, even though the alloyed calamine brass was in use for centuries, and metallic zinc was produced directly via reducing-atmosphere smelting in India and China from the 12th century CE onwards. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and, when it was first developed, methods for producing metallic zinc were unknown. Metallurgists wishing to produce brass thus used calamine (actually
Breinigerberg its calamine flora. The hill of "Schlangenberg" is 276 metres above sea level and originates in the former ore mine of Breinigerberg. Names like "Bleiweg", which means "Way of lead", even today, give hints to the history of the village. The calamine from the ore mine Breinigerberg was used exclusively in Stolberg for the production of brass. The history of Breinigerberg can be traced back to the Romans. Twenty five coins dated between 100 BC and the year 92/93 AD as well as remains of a Roman craftsmen settlement had been found in the village. The buildings show that the