Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Dating To 1600s, Collapsing Its Dragon-Tail Spire

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – A fire blazed through one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings Tuesday, destroying roughly half of the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange and collapsing its famed dragon-tail spire, while bystanders hurried to assist emergency services in saving priceless paintings and other treasures.

During renovations, the blaze started on the building’s roof, but authorities said it was too early to determine the cause. The red-brick structure, with its green copper roof and distinctive 56-meter (184-foot) spire shaped like four interwoven dragon tails, is a prominent tourist attraction in the heart of the capital, near Denmark’s parliament, Christiansborg Palace.

Firemen Extinguish Fire: Image Reuters

Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Dating To 1600s, Collapsing Its Dragon-Tail Spire

As fire devoured the spire and drove it plummeting down the scaffolding-covered edifice, bells tolled, and sirens screamed. Huge billows of smoke ascended above downtown Copenhagen, visible from southern Sweden, separated from Denmark’s capital by a thin strait.

“A piece of Danish history is on fire,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Instagram, lamenting the loss of “irreplaceable cultural heritage.”

There were ambulances on the scene, but no reports of injuries.

Firefighters pumped water from a nearby canal and sprayed it into the doorway of the Old Stock Exchange’s gilded hall, which hosts gala dinners, conferences, and other events and displays many paintings.

Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said it was “touching” to see how many people came together “to save art treasures and iconic images from the burning building.” Soon after the fire broke out, one man rushed off his bicycle to aid, while public members assisted first responders in transporting large items of art to safety.

Among the pieces on show in the building was a massive 1895 painting by Danish artist P.S. Krøyer, “From Copenhagen Stock Exchange.” No information has been revealed on which works of art were saved from the blaze, although camera footage shows the Krøyer painting being removed.

Brian Mikkelsen, chief executive of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, which controls the Old Stock Exchange, was spotted with his team going through a binder containing images of artworks that needed to be conserved. Work was done on the adjoining parliament and national archive building. According to Mikkelsen, rescuers used crowbars and other tools to retrieve valuables and save them from the fire.

“We have been able to rescue a lot,” a moved Mikkelsen told reporters. “It is a national disaster.”

According to Jakob Vedsted Andersen, a Greater Copenhagen Fire Department spokeswoman, the fire started on the roof Tuesday morning and swiftly spread, collapsing parts and damaging around half of the building. He said no other structures were in danger, but it could take firemen 24 hours to clear the situation.

Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Gutted: Photo Reuters

Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Dating To 1600s, Collapsing Its Dragon-Tail Spire

Tim Ole Simonsen, another fire department spokesman, stated, “The fire started in the part of the building where work has been going on, but that’s all I can say about it.”

René Hansen of the coppersmith firm refurbishing the roof informed TV2 that 10 people were on the roof when the fire alarm sounded.

“After five minutes, smoke began to rise from the floor to the ceiling,” Hansen said.

Tommy Laursen of the Copenhagen police said it was too early to determine what started the fire, but officers would be allowed to access the building in “a few days.”

According to Denmark’s armed services, an army squad of up to 90 members was deployed to seal off the area and “secure valuables.”

King Frederik posted on Instagram that “an important part of our architectural heritage” was being destroyed. He also stated in an email that “this morning we woke up to a sad sight.”

The exchange, built in 1615, is a prime example of Dutch Renaissance design in Denmark. After the Copenhagen Stock Exchange left in 1974, the Chamber of Commerce moved into the building.

The roof, brickwork, sandstone, and spire were all being rebuilt, and Mikkelsen stated that the royal family, government leaders, and other dignitaries would be invited to observe the work later this year.

“That won’t happen now,” he stated.

The structure’s future was unknown, but Engel-Schmidt, the cultural minister, stated on the social media site X that he would do everything he could “so that the dragon spire will once again tower over Copenhagen,” describing it as “a symbol of Denmark’s strong history as a trading nation.”

The adjacent Christiansborg Palace has burned down multiple times, and in 1990, a fire broke out in an annex of the Danish parliament known as Proviantgaarden. However, the Old Stock Exchange remained unaffected.

Firemen close area: Photo Reuters

Fire Destroys Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange Dating To 1600s, Collapsing Its Dragon-Tail Spire

Police closed a prominent route in Copenhagen and notified the public that the area would be roped off for some time. Several bus routes were redirected, and the Danish media reported massive traffic congestion.

Queen Margrethe, who turned 84 on Tuesday, scaled back her celebrations due to the fire, according to broadcaster TV2. A band from the Royal Life Guard was supposed to perform for the former monarch outside Fredensborg Castle, where she is staying for the spring and summer, but it was canceled.

The Copenhagen fire was similar to the one at Notre Dame in April 2019. The 800-year-old cathedral in Paris also lost its spire. Its rehabilitation is scheduled for completion this year. When Windsor Castle in England caught fire in November 1992, troops and workmen rushed to salvage precious works of art. The fire destroyed the state dining room and other areas of Queen Elizabeth II’s vacation palace.

SOURCE – (AP)