Following Norddeutsche Affinerie AG's acquisition of the Belgian copper producer Cumerio on February 18, 2008, the company was renamed Aurubis on April 1, 2009.

Aurubis shares are listed in the Prime Standard Segment of the German Stock Exchange, the MDAX, the Global Challenges Index (GCX), and the STOXX Europe 600.

In 1846, the ‘Elbkupferwerk’ was founded on the river Elbe's island Steinwerder in cooperation with Johann Cesar Godeffroy and Siegmund Robinow.

The economic recovery led to the foundation of the ‘Elbhütten Affinerie- und Handelsgesellschaft’ in 1856, which merged the Elbkupferwerk with the Beit Gold and Silver Parting company.

Following the Nazi seizure of power in 1933, the Jewish members of the management board Richard Merton, Julius Levisohn, and Heinrich Wohlwill were forced to step down.

[3]: 39–40  In 1939, Wilhelm Avieny of Metallgesellschaft and Hermann Schlosser, CEO of Degussa, were appointed to leading positions on the supervisory board of Norddeutsche Affinerie.

[3]: 39  During World War II, Norddeutsche Affinerie was an essential supplier to the munitions industry and used forced labor to maintain production.

While the company announced in April 2023 that it stopped buying copper from Russia, it has faced criticism for not fully cutting ties with the country.

Critics argue that the company’s decision to continue some business activities in Russia shows a lack of full commitment to opposing the war.

Shares of all shareholders subject to reporting requirements see table: (in percent) Status: October 4, 2022 Environmental and climate protection are among the key targets of Aurubis' corporate strategy and are outlined in the company guidelines.

Beyond compliance with legal requirements, voluntary commitments like the chemical industry's "Responsible Care" initiative are important instruments for continuously improving environmental and health protection performance at Aurubis.

Five agreements on improving environmental protection and increasing energy efficiency have been concluded with the Hamburg State Authority of Urban Development and Environment and successfully implemented.

The environmental protection group Physik-Geowissenschaften took water and soil samples showing that arsenic, cadmium, copper, zinc, and other heavy metals had accumulated in the harbor mud in front of the plant and were still entering the river Elbe in 2005 through cracks in the embankment.