In Copenhagen, a Renaissance building of the old stock exchange is on fire, one of the city's most famous landmarks

Copenhagen - The historic building of the stock exchange, which is one of the most famous landmarks of the Danish capital, Copenhagen, was engulfed in a large fire today. This was reported by the Reuters agency, which stated that the tower of the building has collapsed. The Danish Minister of Defense compared the tragedy to the fire of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris five years ago. No injuries have been reported, and the exact cause of the fire is currently unknown.

The fire, which likely started during renovation work on the roof of the building, spread to several floors of the structure, and parts of the roof have collapsed, said fire department spokesman Jakob Vedsted Andersen according to the AP agency. "Extinguishing the fire is very complicated," he added, noting that firefighters cannot enter some parts of the building because it is too dangerous.

According to Vedsted, around 120 people are involved in the firefighting efforts, but they have only managed to control about 40 percent of the fire. Half of the building is reportedly already collapsed internally, the outer walls are still standing, but the flames are also compromising them. Firefighters do not expect an immediate collapse of the entire structure, but firefighting operations will last all day, Vedsted stated.

The collapsed 56-meter high tower, which consisted of four intertwined dragon tails, was considered a symbol of the city. Local media released video footage showing people carrying large paintings out of the Renaissance building to save them from the flames. The Danish National Museum has sent 25 of its employees to the site to help rescue valuable artworks.

The police have urged citizens not to travel to the center of Copenhagen, over which dense smoke is hovering. They have also ordered the evacuation of homes on the street where the old stock exchange is located, as well as the Ministry of Finance and one wing of the neighboring Christiansborg Palace, which houses Parliament. According to the DPA agency, some members of Parliament and journalists have offices in the evacuated part of the palace. About 90 army personnel have been called in to secure the area and "protect valuable items".

"Terrible scenes from the stock exchange. It's so sad. This iconic building means a lot to all of us. This moment is our Notre-Dame," wrote Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen on the X platform, referring to the fire at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2019.

The Danish stock exchange is no longer housed in the building known as Börsen, which was constructed in the 17th century in the style of Dutch Renaissance; however, the Danish Chamber of Commerce is located there. The landmark also used to be a popular tourist destination.

"Four hundred years of Danish cultural heritage in flames," lamented Minister of Culture Jakob Engel-Schmidt on the X platform.

Currently, renovation work was underway in the old stock exchange building to restore it to its form during the reign of Danish King Christian IV, and the structure was surrounded by scaffolding. 

Summary of information about the historic building of the Copenhagen stock exchange, which was engulfed in a fire today:

- The Copenhagen stock exchange building, which was built in the 17th century in the spirit of Northern Renaissance, is one of the notable realizations of this style. The structure, also known as Börsen (stock exchange in Danish) or Börsbygningen, is located in the center of the metropolis, near the Danish Parliament Christiansborg. It is one of Copenhagen's iconic buildings and is a favorite destination for tourists, although it is not open to the public. Danish Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen compared its destruction to the fire of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, which occurred five years ago. At the time of the fire outbreak, Börsen was under renovation and surrounded by scaffolding, similar to the Parisian cathedral.

- The Danish stock exchange was founded in the 17th century during the reign of King Christian IV, and its central building was constructed between 1619 and 1640. The king aimed to strengthen Copenhagen’s role as a trading center in Northern Europe - he wanted to create a dignified space where Danish merchants could exchange goods with foreign traders. The architectural design was entrusted to architect and sculptor Lorenzo van Steenwinckel, but he died at the young age of 34 shortly after construction began, and his younger brother Hans van Steenwinckel was then tasked with completing the work.

- The elongated, low complex features the richly decorated architecture of Dutch Renaissance with a brick façade, containing typically Scandinavian elements. It has a rectangular shape, with the central part dominated by a 56-meter high spiral tower shaped like a quartet of intertwined dragon tails. On top of the tower were three royal crowns, symbolizing the union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. According to legend, this tower guarded the building against enemy attacks and fires. Until now, it has largely succeeded, but now, due to the fire, it has collapsed.

- The stock exchange building initially served as a marketplace at the end of the 1620s. It was built on an artificially created peninsula called Slotsholmen, surrounded by water canals, so goods were brought to the building by boats and barges. There were 40 stalls for trading on the ground floor and 40 on the first floor. Lead was used as material for the construction of the roof, which the Danes later used for casting cannonballs during the siege of Copenhagen by the Swedes in the 1650s. The building and tower were later covered with copper sheets. Today, the Danish Chamber of Commerce is located in the building, which also hosted various social events.

- In recent years, the extensive fire of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris has attracted similar attention, which engulfed the world-famous structure five years ago in April. After extensive repairs, the cathedral is set to reopen this year.