Old Stock Exchange in Copenhagen: Fire brought under control

According to the fire department, the fire was under control in the afternoon and around 135 firefighters were on duty. The damage is also enormous inside: important, load-bearing structures were destroyed. However, the emergency services did not expect the entire stock exchange to collapse.

According to the information, the fire had already engulfed around half of the huge building by mid-morning. “We are very aware of the risk of collapse,” said Frank Mikkelsen from the fire department. The part of the building closer to Parliament was particularly affected by intense fire. The emergency services fought the flames for hours and were able to prevent it from spreading to the other part.

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The destruction of one of its most important and best-known buildings is a shock for the country. 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.” He was referring to the devastating fire in the Paris cathedral. A fire broke out there almost exactly five years ago – on April 15, 2019 – which almost completely destroyed the roof of the world-famous Notre Dame Cathedral. Pictures of it went around the world.

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

“Terrible images we are seeing right now. A piece of Danish history in flames,” wrote Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Instagram. “The Stock Exchange is one of Copenhagen’s most iconic buildings. A symbol of 400 years of business history in Denmark. Irreplaceable cultural heritage. It hurts to see.”

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”. The 56 meter high tower, which depicted four intertwined dragon tails, is considered a landmark of the city.

The old stock exchange, which is now home to the Danish Chamber of Commerce, which also owns the building, houses a large art collection. Among them is the work “From the Copenhagen Stock Exchange” by PS Krøyer. It was carried away by several people during the fire. According to the fire department, the emergency services tried to bring the cultural treasures to safety with the support of the army. But employees also helped save the art objects. According to Brian Mikkelsen, head of the Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a terrible day. A tragedy. One of the saddest days of my life,” he said. “Years of history and art in flames. It is a tragedy not only for the Danish Chamber of Commerce, but for Denmark as a nation.”

“We have decided with our board that we will definitely rebuild the Børsen,” Mikkelsen continued. The extent of the damage and the cause of the fire were initially unclear.

Parts of the castle were also evacuated

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 the castle and the Royal Library. The Copenhagen police announced on X that they would evacuate the buildings from the Ministry of Finance towards the water.

• You might also be interested in: Notre Dame: This is what it looks like five years after the devastating fire

The historic stock exchange is located on the eastern tip of the island of Slotsholmen. The building was completed in 1625 with a church tower. It was built in the Dutch Renaissance style on the orders of King Christian IV to transform Copenhagen into a financial and commercial center. According to the Danish Chamber of Commerce, it has not been used as a stock exchange for a long time. 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.

It was Christian IV’s wish to have a tower built on the Børsen with a lead top and four dragons with twisted tails, the seven mayors wrote on Tuesday. “The dragons were supposed to protect Børsen from enemies and fire, and they have succeeded – until today.”