Tuesday, a huge fire tore through Copenhagen’s historic former stock exchange from the 1600s, destroying its unique spire while repair work was still going on. People standing nearby were shocked to see the 180-foot spire go up in flames, which must have been very scary.
Seeing those scenes made me think of the terrible fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which happened almost five years ago today.
A 45-year-old local woman named Elisabeth Moltke voiced her pain while watching the fire by saying, “This is our Notre-Dame!” This is an important national treasure.
“Many valuable Danish paintings and artifacts are kept inside,” she said. “I’ve been there several times, and it’s a beautiful building that makes me feel strong emotions.”
Around 7:30 a.m. local time (0530 GMT), flames broke out under the red-brick building’s copper roof, calling for more than 100 firemen to help. The spire fell in a cloud of thick smoke and flames. Fire trucks surrounded the building, which is now the home of the Danish Chamber of Commerce.
Director of emergency services Jakob Vedsted Andersen said, “Because it has a copper roof, it’s hard to get to the fire below, which lets it get stronger.” He saw that the fire had gone down into the building.
Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt was shocked by the damage and wrote on social media, “Heartbreaking scenes from Borsen this morning.” Four hundred years of Danish culture history were destroyed by fire.
Carsten Lundberg, who works for the Danish Chamber of Commerce, expressed sadness over the loss and emphasized how the building’s goods could not be replaced. “Inside were priceless paintings, statues… things that defy valuation,” he told me.
The Borsen building is one of Copenhagen’s oldest and most famous sites. It was built between 1619 and 1640 by King Christian IV and is close to Christiansborg Palace, which is home to Denmark’s Parliament and government seat. It was getting fixed up for its 400th anniversary and had a huge collection of art inside.
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