A major fire has swept through Copenhagen's historic former stock exchange, the Bourse, causing its iconic spire to collapse and threatening a valuable art collection. The blaze, reported at 7:30am on Tuesday, has engulfed the roof of the 17th-century Dutch Renaissance-style building, which was under renovation and covered in scaffolding.
Firefighters are struggling to control the flames, with the scaffolding and copper roof hampering efforts. Jakob Vedsted Andersen, a fire service spokesperson, said about 120 personnel are fighting the fire, but only 40% is under control, and operations are expected to last at least 24 hours. Parts of the roof have collapsed, and the fire has spread to several floors.
The Bourse, commissioned by King Christian IV and built between 1619 and 1640, housed Denmark's stock exchange until 1974. Its 56-metre spire, shaped like the tails of four entwined dragons, was considered a symbol of protection. Ulla Kjaer, a senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark, described it as 'absolutely iconic'.
Artworks have been carried to safety, including Peder Severin Krøyer's painting 'From the Copenhagen Stock Exchange', rescued by eight people. Brian Mikkelsen, head of the Chamber of Commerce, which occupies the building, helped save historic paintings, calling the blaze 'a national disaster'. The deputy prime minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, described it as 'our own Notre-Dame moment'.
King Frederik said the royal family 'woke up to the sad sight' of destroyed architectural heritage, while Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen lamented the loss of 'irreplaceable cultural heritage'. The culture minister, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, noted that 400 years of Danish cultural heritage were in flames, praising efforts to save art treasures.
