The old stock exchange building in central Copenhagen – one of the city’s oldest buildings, known for its ornate spire of braided dragon tails – partially collapsed in a major fire early Tuesday.
No one was injured, according to a statement by King Frederik X. Images and videos on social media showed flames on the roof of the structure and dark clouds of smoke billowing over the city.
It was not immediately clear what caused the fire at the structure, which appeared to be undergoing renovations. As of early Tuesday afternoon, the fire was still burning with “pockets of fire” in the building, a Copenhagen fire service official said.
The king said the building’s famous spire had helped define Copenhagen as the “city of towers”.
“Until today, we have regarded the historic building as a beautiful symbol of our capital and a building that, as a nation, we are proud of,” he said.
Authorities responded to the fire shortly after 7:30 a.m., officials said at a news conference Tuesday. About 200 people have been involved in extinguishing the fire.
“It is still difficult to work in large parts of the building,” said Jakob Vedsted Andersen, executive director of the Greater Copenhagen Fire Service. “The whole structure has collapsed inside, so there are pockets of fire. However, there is no risk of the fire spreading to other buildings.”
It will take days for authorities to piece together what caused the fire in one of Denmark’s most valuable buildings.
Jakob Engel-Schmidt, Denmark’s culture minister, said in an interview early Tuesday that it was “terrible” to see the building go up in flames. “The building represents over 400 years of Danish history,” he said, using “Borsen,” the building’s Danish name. “It is one of the last structures in the world in the Dutch Renaissance style, where trade was conducted throughout the period.”
Amid the chaos, police in Copenhagen said on social media that they had evacuated many surrounding buildings and urged people to avoid the area.
The old stock exchange building, a 17th-century structure that was once the financial center of Denmark, also housed several historic paintings and other artifacts. City officials rushed the valuable pieces out of the building after the fire broke out. At the time of the fire, the building was owned by Dansk Erhverv, a business organization.
One of the largest works that was safely transported was “From the Copenhagen Stock Exchange” by Peder Severin Kroyer, according to a local news outlet. The work, which was painted in 1895 and depicts several key economic figures of Denmark, is over 13 feet long. It took six people to carry it to safety.
National Museum of Denmark he said on social media that he had sent dozens of workers into the building to remove cultural artifacts and assess the damage of others before they were safely stowed away.
Mr Engel-Schmidt said the artworks of the old stock exchange “tell us something about ourselves as a nation and as a people”. He added that the building was the scene of countless historical events and that it was ingrained in the Danish psyche.
“That’s why there are people standing in the streets looking incredibly sad,” he said. “It affects me too.”
Several other officials expressed regret over the fire, including Liberal Party MP Jan Jorgensen, who called for the old stock exchange to be rebuilt. “Probably the most iconic building in Copenhagen,” he said on social media. “All forces must be united to rebuild this old, beautiful house in all its power and grandeur.”
The building was constructed under the direction of King Christian IV, who had recognized the importance of trade and commerce, according to tourism website Visit Copenhagen. The original structure contained at least 40 market stalls and was surrounded by water on three sides to help ships unload their cargo easily.
As fire crews battled the flames Tuesday, dozens of onlookers stood quietly in the street, watching in shock, including Celeste Bolvinkil Andersen, who said she woke up to hearing her roommate screaming about the fire.
“It feels a little bit like witnessing history first hand,” he said. “I can’t help but sit here deeply, deeply disappointed in myself, that I haven’t gone inside and seen Borsen from the inside. And now it’s completely gone.”
