Old Stock Exchange in Copenhagen burns: building evacuated, paintings saved

Hours after the fire broke out, smoke continued to rise, flames blazed and people gathered at the site. According to the fire department, the fire had already engulfed around half of the huge building by mid-morning. Because of the fire, a wing of Christiansborg Palace also had to be evacuated in the morning.

The head of operations told the Danish news agency Ritzau that parts of the roof had collapsed and the fire was not yet under control. Around 120 firefighters and around 60 helpers from the armed forces are on duty.

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Large art collection

Television images showed people rescuing several historical paintings from the burning house. The old stock exchange houses a large art collection, including the work “From the Copenhagen Stock Exchange” by PS Krøyer, which was carried away by several people during the fire. The police announced on the X platform (formerly Twitter) that several streets and the area around the building were cordoned off.

Denmark’s Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen wrote on X: “Terrible pictures from Børsen. So sad. An iconic building that means a lot to all of us. Our own Notre Dame moment.” A 400-year-old Danish cultural heritage is on fire, said Denmark’s Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt. King Frederik X wrote in a message about a “sad sight”. “An important part of our architectural heritage was and is still burning.” The striking dragon’s peak, which has now collapsed, helped shape the cityscape and helped define Copenhagen as the “City of Towers”.

A wing of Christiansborg Palace was also evacuated

The cause of the fire was initially unclear. The building was completed in 1625 with a church tower and is one of the oldest buildings in Copenhagen. According to the Danish Chamber of Commerce, it has not been used as a stock exchange for a long time. Today it houses the Chamber of Commerce, which also owns the building. It is currently being restored and is therefore scaffolded. The restoration was intended to correct an improper renovation of the building in the 19th century and restore the facade to its original appearance.

Because of the fire, a wing of Christiansborg Palace was also evacuated in the morning. Several MPs and journalists have their offices there. The so-called Provianthuset is located between Christiansborg Palace and the Royal Library. The meetings in the plenary hall and the committee meetings should initially take place in Christiansborg on Tuesday as planned. Copenhagen police also announced on X that they would evacuate the buildings from the Ministry of Finance towards the water.

The building on the eastern tip of the island of Slotsholmen is located on the Holmens Canal opposite the Danish National Bank and is a tourist attraction. Dating back to 1625, it was built in the Dutch Renaissance style and is considered one of Copenhagen’s most famous buildings. The 56 meter high tower, which depicts four intertwined dragon tails, is considered a landmark of the city.