The historic building of the former Copenhagen Stock Exchange, dating from the 17th century and currently under construction, caught fire on Tuesday and its emblematic spire collapsed in front of stunned Danes. “It’s our Notre-Dame, it’s our national treasure,” said moved a local resident, Elisabeth Moltke, 45, who came to witness the disaster.
Around 7:30 a.m., the fire broke out under the roof, emergency services told the press, who dispatched more than a hundred firefighters to the site, while the police blocked parts of the capital to traffic. Many trucks surround the building which now houses the Danish Chamber of Commerce, a stone’s throw from Parliament and the seat of government.
Unmissable building in Copenhagen
“It’s a copper roof, and it’s simply impossible to penetrate,” rescue services director Jakob Vedsted Andersen told the Ritzau agency. “The fire therefore had plenty of time to intensify and spread throughout the building,” he explained. A must-see building in Copenhagen, the Old Stock Exchange, which also houses a vast collection of art works, was being renovated to celebrate its four centuries of existence.
“Terrible images (from) the Stock Exchange this morning. 400 years of Danish cultural heritage in flames,” lamented Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt on the social network Forces from the Danish army, Den Kongelige Livgarde, were also dispatched to the scene, in particular to try to save works.
Attempts to save the works
The 54 meter high spire of the building collapsed in the flames. Many Danes were in tears at the devastation. “I don’t have the words. It’s a 400-year-old building that survived all the other fires that ravaged Copenhagen, it’s a terrible loss,” said resident Carsten Rose Lundberg.
“We are currently working hard to save our historic art from the Stock Exchange,” said the Chamber of Commerce. Several people were filmed and photographed saving works, including a painting representing the building, according to images from Danish media DR and photos from the Ritzau agency.
“How touching it is to see how Børsen employees, good people from the emergency services and the people of Copenhagen are working together to save the artistic treasures and iconic images from the burning building,” added the Minister of Culture . Commissioned by King Christian IV, the Copenhagen Stock Exchange was built between 1619 and 1640, making it one of the oldest buildings in the city.