Paper and cardboard factory A. Elkan

Aron Elkan founded a cardboard factory in 1861, the "Papier-u. Pappenf. A. Elkan". This must be imagined at first still very small and modest. The company premises were located on Krefelder Straße 175.

From 1896, Aron Elkan's sons Johannes and Peter, who had taken over the company in the meantime, began producing roofing felt. Roofing felt was a new product at that time, which was well received and promised good economic prospects with a rapid expansion of ever new factory facilities. The contested path brought great economic success already a few years.

Around 1900, the Elkan family employed 25 workers in their factory. The number increased in the following years up to 42 people.

During the war years, the company was Aryanized, but it was returned to the heirs of the Elkan family in the post-war period.

In 1958, the paper and cardboard factory was taken over by the paper mill "Fa. Europa Carton AG"

Until 2015, the headquarters of the paper manufacturer Smurfit Kappa was located on the factory premises. After that, there was a longer vacancy of the site, before it was acquired by the company Prangenberg & Zaum Immobilien and rebuilt under consideration of the protection of historic buildings and monuments.

In September 2018, the first tenants moved into what is now known as the "old paper factory."