Fire raves through Copenhagen’s Old Stock Exchange

Fire has actually raved through among Copenhagen’s earliest structures, triggering the collapse of the renowned spire from the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange as passers-by hurried to assist emergency situation services conserve invaluable paintings and other prized possessions. Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt stated it was touching to see the number of individuals provided their hand “to conserve art treasures and renowned images from the burning structure”. Brian Mikkelsen, chief of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, which is headquartered in the Old Stock Exchange, and his personnel were seen scrolling through a binder with pictures of paintings to be conserved. Newsletters: Breaking news as it takes place. Subscribe now “It is a nationwide catastrophe,” Mikkelsen informed press reporters. The fire started on Tuesday early morning in the copper roofing system of the Old Stock Exchange, infected much of the structure and the roofing, parts of which likewise collapsed, and damaged the structure’s interior, firemens representative Jakob Vedsted Andersen stated. The famous spire of the Old Stock Exchange in Copenhagen collapsed after being swallowed up by flames. Credit: EPA Firefighters who supposedly pumped water from the close-by canal were seen spraying water through the entrance of the Old Stock Exchange’s gilded hall that is utilized for gala suppers, conferences, celebrations and other occasions and where much of the paintings hung. The reason for the fire was not instantly understood. The structure, which is beside the Christiansborg Palace where the parliament sits, is a popular traveler destination and has actually been photographed countless times. Its distinct spire, in the shape of the tails of 4 dragons, twined together, reached a height of 56 metres. Big billows of smoke increased over downtown Copenhagen and individuals were seen hurrying inside the structure to conserve paintings. Ambulances were at the scene however there were no reports of casualties. A representative for the business dealing with refurbishing the structure stated the carpenters who dealt with the roofing system had actually all come out. King Frederik composed on Instagram that “they awakened to an unfortunate sight” of “a fundamental part of our architectural heritage” being ruined by the flames. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen composed that “irreplaceable cultural heritage” and “a piece of Danish history is on fire”. The structure and the spire had actually been enclosed in scaffolding, which later on collapsed in the fire. The roofing, masonry, sandstone and spire of Boersen – integrated in 1615 and thought about a leading example of Dutch Renaissance design in Denmark – was being remodelled, stated the Chamber of Commerce, which moved into the structure after Copenhagen’s stock market left in 1974. The surrounding Christiansborg Palace has actually burned down on a number of events, and most just recently in 1990, a fire broke out in an annex of the Danish parliament, referred to as Proviantgaarden. The Old Stock Exchange made it through untouched.

Learn more