Copenhagen's 'Notre Dame moment' as old bourse burns, loses spire

The major fire that has engulfed Copenhagen's historic stock exchange, one of its oldest and most iconic buildings, has been brought under control, the head of the Danish capital's fire brigade said on Tuesday.

The cause of the fire, which broke out suddenly on Tuesday morning, remains unclear. Half of the stock exchange had more or less burnt down, according to the fire brigade.

Around 135 firefighters and other emergency workers were deployed, along with volunteers from the armed forces.

Copenhagen suffered its "Notre Dame moment" after the exchange, which is known as Børsen in Danish, was engulfed by flames, which caused its spire to collapse.

Even hours after the fire broke out, smoke was still rising and flames were blazing, as people gathered to look at the scene.

According to the fire brigade, the fire had already engulfed around half of the huge building by mid-morning. The fire has damaged supporting structures, the brigade said later, confirming that part of the 400-year-old building was badly burnt.

However, the emergency services said they did not initially expect the entire building to collapse.

The building houses a large art collection, including the monumental 19th-century oil painting "From Copenhagen Stock Exchange" by PS Krøyer, which was carried away by several people.

The police announced on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, that several streets and the area around the building had been cordoned off.

Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen expressed his shock. "Terrible pictures from the Børsen. So sad. An iconic building that means a lot to all of us. Our own Notre Dame moment," he wrote, comparing the blaze to the one that severely damaged the famous Paris landmark five years ago.

Notre Dame Cathedral is expected to reopen in December after its reconstruction.

King Frederik X wrote in a statement of a sad sight: "An important part of our architectural heritage was and still is in flames."

The striking Dragon Spire, which has now collapsed, has helped to shape the cityscape and define Copenhagen as the "City of Towers," the king said.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also expressed her dismay. "Terrible images we are seeing right now. A piece of Danish history in flames," Frederiksen wrote on Instagram.

"The stock exchange is one of Copenhagen's most iconic buildings. A symbol of 400 years of business history in Denmark. Irreplaceable cultural heritage. It hurts to see," Frederiksen wrote.

At the same time, the prime minister thanked the fire brigade, police and everyone "who bravely fought the fire."

"I will do everything I can to ensure that the Dragon Spire once again towers over Copenhagen as a symbol of Denmark's strong history as a trading nation," Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt wrote on X.

The Dutch Renaissance-style building was completed in 1625 with a 56-metre-high spire featuring four intertwined dragon tails. The spire is a symbol of the city.

Located on the eastern tip of the island of Slotsholmen on the Holmens Kanal street opposite the National Bank of Denmark, it is a major tourist attraction.

The old stock exchange, which is now home to the Danish Chamber of Commerce and which also owns the building, houses a large art collection.

The chamber's chief executive, Brian Mikkelsen, helped staff to save some of the artefacts from the fire.

"We have decided with our board that we will definitely rebuild Børsen," he said. "It's a terrible day. A tragedy. One of the saddest days of my life. Years of history and art up in flames. It's not just a tragedy for the Danish Chamber of Commerce, but for Denmark as a nation."

The building is currently being restored and is therefore covered in scaffolding. The restoration was intended to correct an improper renovation of the building in the 19th century and restore the façade to its original appearance.

The Provianthuset, a wing of Christiansborg Palace where several MPs and journalists have offices, was also evacuated in the morning due to the fire.

The palace itself houses Denmark's parliament. Meetings in the parliamentary chamber and committee rooms were initially scheduled to take place as planned.

However the Copenhagen police said the Ministry of Finance buildings would be evacuated.