Copenhagen: Historic landmark “Børsen” is on fire

“This is our Notre Dame”
Landmark in flames: The historic “Børsen” in Copenhagen is burning

The former stock exchange in Copenhagen, built in the 17th century, is actually currently being restored. But now she’s on fire. The fire brigade is on a large scale. Valuable paintings and cultural assets are saved. The fire is reminiscent of the one at Notre Dame in Paris in 2019.

The “Børsen” in Copenhagen is burning. Flames burst from the roof of the building, which was built in the 17th century, and smoke rose into the air, images showed. The Copenhagen fire department wrote on The police are also on site. The area around the fire was cordoned off. Several buildings in the area are being evacuated, including the Ministry of Finance, the police write. The “Børsen” is located not far from the Danish Parliament in the city center.

The striking spiral-shaped spire has completely burst into flames and collapsed, Danish media reported. Building employees were able to save several valuable items, including an 1895 painting like the television station TV2 and the newspaper “Ekstra Bladet” reported. They were taken to the nearby parliament in Christiansborg.

“It is one of the greatest treasures. The walls are filled with priceless paintings, the library and the architecture. At the moment it’s about saving as much as possible,” museum curator Benjamin Asmussen told TV2.

“Børsen” in Copenhagen: “400 years of Danish cultural heritage in flames”

Martin Kjærsgaard from the Copenhagen Fire Department told TV2: “Everyone has been evacuated from the building and we have just started the first phase of the fire-fighting work, which will continue for a long time.” As the station further reported, no one was injured. It is not yet clear what caused the fire.

“The ‘Børsen’ is badly damaged. Part of it is intact, but a large part of the building has been damaged. And rooms have simply burned,” said the head of operations for the Copenhagen police Radio station DR. There is also a risk that the fire will spread to other buildings. Other buildings are already affected.

The building, built between 1619 and 1640, is currently being restored. Scaffolding surrounds the “Børsen”, one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings. It served as a commodity exchange until around 1800 and was the headquarters of the Copenhagen Fund Exchange until 1974. Today it serves as an office building and headquarters of one of the country’s largest business and employers’ organizations, Dansk Erhverv.

Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt wrote on X: “Terrible pictures from the Børsen this morning. 400 years of Danish cultural heritage in flames.”

A newspaper reporter “BT” reported that eyewitnesses and passers-by burst into tears at the sight of the flames. Many people stand around the still burning building and look stunned, pictures showed. Henrik Grage told TV2: “This is our Notre Dame.” “It’s shocking. It’s a tragic day. Not just for Copenhagen, but also for Denmark. And on the Queen’s birthday. It’s a sad sight,” he said. Grage is a stonemason and helped rebuild the castle church after a fire in 1992. “We will rebuild it. We will succeed.” The Notre Dame church in Paris burned down in 2019.

Note: This article is continually updated.

Sources: TV2, “Ekstra Bladet”, “BT”, Denmark’s radio, Copenhagen Police on X