The Meyer family immigrated to Sweden from Lübeck in the 1630s and established themselves in Stockholm. Gerhard Meyer, who was a foundry and bell caster, founded the Meyerska Styckgjuteriet in 1640. In 1641, he received a power of attorney as the crown’s liner. The foundry was run for four generations at Hötorget. The founder’s grandson became one of the family’s most wealthy and prominent and owned the Sparreska palace on Fredsgatan 27c at Rödtorget in Stockholm. At his death, it was donated to the Royal Academy of Painters and Sculptors, which today is the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.