“An important part of our architectural heritage was and still is in flames.” King Frederick X wrote in an Instagram post.. “For generations, the distinctive Dragon Spire has helped define Copenhagen as the City of Towers.”
People flocked to the building to preserve its vast collection of historic artwork. The National Gallery also tweeted that it had sent 25 staff to the scene to assist with the evacuation of artworks.
“We were able to save a lot of people,” Brian Mikkelsen, director of the Danish Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told reporters. “This is a national crisis.” He and his staff were seen flipping through a binder of photos showcasing the building’s artwork to see what had been preserved, according to the Associated Press. It is said that
Mikkelsen himself has helped save some art, but said he had to use tools to remove them.
“Terrible photos from the stock exchange this morning,” Denmark’s Culture Minister Jakob Engelschmidt tweeted. “400 years of Danish cultural heritage ignites.”
The fire was first reported at 7:30 a.m. Copenhagen Fire Department Chief Jakob Vested Andersen told reporters that the fire started in the building’s copper roof and spread to multiple floors of the building.
“The façade is still there, but it is starting to crumble as the construction work burns down,” Vedsted Andersen said. “We are doing everything we can to protect it, but we cannot guarantee it.” added.
The fire department said scaffolding has been erected around the building for renovations, making it difficult for emergency personnel to reach the flames, but the copper roof is keeping the heat in.
The cause of the fire was not initially clear.
The incident was a “Notre Dame moment” for Denmark, Defense Minister Tørs Lund Poulsen wrote in X, recalling footage of the severely damaged Paris Cathedral in flames five years ago.
Commissioned by King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway, construction of the Dutch Renaissance building began in 1619, and the first shops on the lower floor were occupied as early as 1624.
Unsatisfied with what he saw as construction neared completion, the king stated that the building resembled a warehouse more than a royal building and instructed the architects to redo the roof.
He also requested the addition of the now famous Spire Tower and its four dragons, which were later said to protect the Exchange from enemies and fire.
“Well done! Neighboring buildings and Christiansborg Palace are on fire,” the Chamber of Commerce said on its website, referring to Denmark’s parliament building, which is on fire. “But the dragons took care of Borsen.”
Bolsen’s ongoing renovations were planned to coincide with the building’s 400th anniversary and to correct mistakes made in the 1883 restoration.
