Copenhagen, fire devastates 17th-century stock exchange, symbol of the city

A devastating fire that broke out in the early hours of yesterday morning (the first alarm was raised at 7:36 a.m.) severely damaged the 17th-century Copenhagen Stock Exchange building, causing the collapse of the dragon spire, the symbol of Børsen, as it is called in Denmark. It is considered one of the best examples of Nordic Renaissance architecture in Denmark: it was built around 1619 and completed in 1623 (work on parts of the building, however, continued until 1640). The building was commissioned by King Christian IV of Denmark from the architects Lorenz van Steenwinckel (Copenhagen, 1585 - 1619) and Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger (Copenhagen, 1587 - 1639): started as a commercial building, it later became the headquarters of the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, a role it held until 1974, when the Danish stock exchange was moved to a modern building. It currently housed the Dansk Erhverv, a kind of large national chamber of commerce.

The Dragon Spire, which collapsed during the fire, dates back to 1625: it got its name from the fact that this curious feature was formed by the twisted tails of four dragons placed at the base of the spire, which was 54 meters high in all. It collapsed shortly after the first alarms went off: by 8:32 a.m., in fact, the spire was already ruined. The flames enveloped half of the building: the other half, the one facing the harbor, was saved. Several paintings contained in the building were rescued by firefighters: among them was the painting known as From the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, a large canvas measuring two and a half by four meters by Peder Severin Krøyer, one of Denmark’s leading painters in history. Indeed, the Stock Exchange is home to numerous works of art by all of the country’s greatest artists.

“This is an incredibly sad day,” writes Dansk Erhverv in a note. “Børsen is one of the most striking buildings in Copenhagen and we were on the eve of its 400th anniversary. Amidst the many emotions and tasks we all face at this time, there are also many questions. But the fire is not yet out and it is important to deal with one thing at a time. There is much, much that will have to be resolved in the coming time, but Dansk Erhverv is a strong organization, so we will handle it together. We have no doubt about that. Despite the situation, the organization continues in order to be able to help our many members. We have established a crisis unit to handle the emergency and the decisions that need to be made in the short term. Our organization is strong-and we have received warm attention from everyone in the country-and together we will quickly get back on our feet. As early as tomorrow our work will be daily and we will organize ourselves in such a way that a small group will work on the emergency. Together we are strong and will need all our energy in the coming times.”

The building, at the time of the fire, was under renovation, and just next year the spire would have been four hundred years old. There are currently no casualties. Ironically, over the centuries the Stock Exchange had survived several fires that affected the nearby Christiansborg Palace, seat of the Danish Parliament. This time, however, there was nothing to be done. Bitter was the comment of King Frederick X of Denmark: “An important part of our architectural cultural heritage was and continues to be on fire,” he said. “Over the generations, the distinctive dragon spire has helped define Copenhagen as the ’city of towers.’” “We have to think about what can be saved and how to rebuild it, because it is very important for the city,” said Copenhagen Mayor Sophie Haestorp Andersen instead.

Yesterday evening King Frederick X received the solidarity of President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella: “I wish to express, on behalf of all Italians and on my own personal behalf,” the president wrote to the Scandinavian ruler, “deep sympathy to your country for the serious fire that enveloped the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, causing very extensive damage, including to the building’s very famous spire.” In the coming hours, the building will be secured. The Danish capital’s fire brigade has indicated that there is no risk to nearby buildings, but it will take at least 24 hours for safety operations.

Copenhagen, fire devastates 17th-century stock exchange, symbol of the city

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